Essence of Innocence
by lilnekochan
Summary: UPDATED First a mission goes wrong then the leader of Schwarz is asking for an alliance. What happens when Schwarz and Weiss decide to work together? Yaoi
1. Red as a Rose

Title: The Essence of Innocence  
Chapter 1: Red as a Rose  
Author: neko-chan  
email: lilneko_chan@hotmail.com  
Pairings: Yohji x Aya, Crawford x Schuldich  
I'm still deciding if I should include Ken x Omi and Farfarello x Nagi  
Warning: Yaoi, OOC, violence   
  
Disclaimer: Weiss (WeiB) Kreuz does not belong to me. It NEVER belonged to me so like  
don't sue me or anything. I'm not getting any money off of this fic.  
  
Author's Note: This doesn't really follow the timeline of Weiss Kreuz. Everything is   
out of order. First of all the other Weiss members don't know about Aya (Ran)'s  
younger sister. Takatori is dead/killed and Schwarz are still alive and reaking  
havoc. On the bottom of the page are some translation to the Japanese words  
in the fic. I know that some of them are easy but hey...some people don't know   
any Japanese words. I remeber when I didn't know any Japanese and was reading a   
Gundam fic. I was totally lost. Anyway the translations are just there if you   
don't know what the words mean. In the fic I named some African flower (or what I   
hope are African flowers). I don't know that much about African flower or flowers in   
general. I just went online and searched for rare African flowers so hopefully the   
website that I went was a site that listed African flowers names. I just picked out   
any flowers so don't flame me if it doesn't make sense. Also another note I wrote this   
fic like four in the morning so the story might sound a little flat. So try to bear with   
me. I know that the characters aren't really developed but that's why it's called a prologe   
or chapter 1 (I know that the prologue/chapter 1 is suppose to catch the readers attention but   
heck...when you're writing like four in the morning you don't care about those stuff). Anyway,   
in the next chapter I'll add in some Yohji x Aya romance and make the characters more in dept.   
So either way I hope you like this fic even after all the b******g I've been doing about it ^_^   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Red as a Rose  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It was a very sunny afternoon. Beams of lights soothed themselves upon the   
luminous plants. Myriads of flowers lined the wall-irises, dandelions, lilies, and many   
others that the eye can see. The most famous among them...the rose. It is interesting how   
a single rose can represent so many things-love, life, beauty... and blood. Red for love   
and red for death. Long slender pale hands handled the roses with intense care. The   
owner of the hands plucked the roses and carried them across the store to the arrangement   
he was creating.  
  
The young man got each stem and placed them carefully but surely into the   
arrangement. Roses were placed between other flowers so that part of the arrangement   
would not outshine the other. The young man placed the last remaining rose into the   
piece and glanced at his reflection in the glass window. Violet icy eyes stared evenly   
back at him. Red hair fell lazily across his face to show a young beautiful face of a young   
man. Bishounen (1) many would call him with his slim figure and natural grace. The ice-  
prince others would call him because of his outward unchanging expression, cold and   
calculating.   
  
"...and Taichi smashed that ball into the net! It was awesome! You guys should   
have been there."   
  
Voices brought the young man out of his thoughts. Violet eyes turned toward his   
associates then quickly back to his arrangement.  
  
"That's great Ken! It's too bad I have school. I'd have loved to see that."   
  
"Young people, getting excited about a little soccer game. What you need is a   
girlfriend to get excited about."  
  
"Jeez Yohji. It that all you ever think about? Women?"  
  
"Of course." Yohji said breezily. "Isn't that right, Aya?"  
  
The young man turned when he heard his name. "Hn."  
  
Yohji smirked and blew out a puff of smoke. He sprawled his lengthy body out   
lazily on a chair with his feet propped up on the table. His short tanks reveled a muscled   
yet slim stomach. His arm flung around another chair while the other held a dangling   
cigarette. A pair of sunglasses held up his long blond hair as emerald green eyes glanced   
at the young exuberant child sitting next to him. "Omi, I still don't know how the hell   
you can be so hyper in the morning."  
  
Omi smiled then shifted through flowers to pick the best match for his decorations.   
"It's two in the afternoon, Yohji-kun. How can you still be sleepy?"  
  
"Easy. I'm not a morning or afternoon person."   
  
"Sorry to interrupt you guys but someone has to look after the store."  
  
"Come on Ken. It's too early to work now." Yohji wined.  
  
Ken rolled his eyes then glanced at the youngest in the group. "Well?"  
  
"I'll go. School just got out so there's going to be the usual rush. What about you,   
Aya?" Omi asked. Aya placed his finished arrangement upon the shelf and gave a short   
"Hai."  
  
"Sugoi. (2)" Ken said then grabbed his apron and followed Omi out into the store.   
  
Aya watched them through the opened doors as they went about putting things in   
order. Both boys contrasted each other immensely in looks if not personality. Omi was a   
slight boy with short blond hair and large innocent blue eyes. Though not very tall he had   
a slim body and an aura of friendliness. Omi was the youngest among the four men, being   
only sixteen years old. While Omi had blond hair and sky blue eyes Ken had brown hair   
and brown eyes. Ken was also short but better built with his years of soccer practice. A   
pair of goggles held up Ken's hair as he clumsily put things away in the front desk. Ken   
was two years older then Omi's sixteen years but he rarely shows it. Clumsiness follows   
Ken as a shadow would a man. He laughed carelessly and openly without worries and   
without walls.  
  
Aya was staring at the two young boys as they laughed before he noticed that Yohji   
was still in the room. Aya blinked then turned to Yohji and regarded him with flat violet   
eyes.  
  
Yohji lifted an eyebrow and blew out another cloud of gray. "What were you   
looking at? Were you looking at the pretty ladies out there?"  
  
"Hn."  
  
"Hm...or was it all the pretty boys out there?" teased Yohji.  
  
"Omae o korosu. (3)"  
  
"Now, now Aya. You mustn't go around making treats all the time." Yohji smile   
got wider. "Where do you go in the mornings? It's not like you have a girlfriend or   
anything."   
  
"None of your business."  
  
"Wow, the ice-prince has finally said something besides 'hn' and 'omae o korosu.'   
This must be a miracle!" Yohji teased.  
  
"Hn."  
  
"Don't start to go all 'Hn' again, Aya."  
  
Aya rolled his eyes and started walking towards the store. "We have to look after   
the store."  
  
"But it's too early to work." Yohji wined like a child. His bottom lip pouted and   
expression turned winy.  
  
"It's two in the afternoon not morning. Get up!"  
  
"Oh, fine. Maybe there'll be some cute girls out today."  
  
"Hn." Aya and Yohji stepped into the store and proceeded to care for the plants.   
Yohji went to help Ken water the plants as Omi cleaned the floor with a broom. Aya got   
his apron, tied it around himself and walked to the cash register to start calculating the   
month's payments. After a few minutes of calm silence the door to the Koneko no Sumu   
Ie opened and a girl walked in.   
  
"Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt you but I was wondering if you could help me."  
  
Yohji and Aya looked up from whatever work they were working on and glanced   
at the girl. The girl wore a black turtleneck and knee length blue skirt. Black boots and a   
belt chain completed the outfit. A pair of chopsticks pinned her black and somewhat   
reddish hair into a bun as some of her bangs fell to the side of her face. The girl looked   
perfectly normal except for her eyes. Her eyes were a never stopping array of color. At   
one minute it was blue while next it would be green or maybe violet. The girl looked at   
the two men in the store with questioning eyes. Omi and Ken had left to go to the storage   
room to get more roses.  
  
Yohji stared at the girl with a small smile then turned back to Aya with a look in   
his eyes as if saying 'you handle it. She's too young for me.' Then he turned to back to   
his flowers and began to water them.  
  
Aya sighed and looked at the girl. "Were you looking for any flower in particular?"  
  
"Ah, yes. I was looking for some African flowers. I'm not sure if you have any   
since it's hard to get them here."  
  
"We do stock African flowers. What kind?"  
  
"Oh, the Acacia Pulchella, Telopea Oreacles, Protea Aurea, Lythraceac,   
Greyiaceae, and the Erythrina Latissima. Can you give me half a dozen if you have them   
in stock. If you don't then it's okay." The girl replied.  
  
Aya took his list then went into the backroom just as Omi and Ken decided to go   
back into the store.  
  
"Konnichiwa. Can I help you with anything?"   
  
"No, someone is already helping me but thanks anyway."  
  
"Oh, no problem." Omi smiled then went to help Ken stack the roses on the display   
case. Aya came back carrying the roses that she wanted.   
  
"We don't carry the Erythrina Latissima but the others were in stock. Is that all?"  
  
"Hai."  
  
"The total is 1,290 yen." The girl handed Aya her credit card. "If you can sign here   
Miss..." Aya glanced at the card. "...Kari McCrae."  
  
"Is that all?" Kari asked.  
  
Aya nodded and handed her the flowers. Yohji came up and leaned his elbows on   
the counter. "Do you need any help, Kari?" Yohji flirted.  
  
"I think I can handle it. Arigatou. (4)" Kari smiled then gathered her flowers.  
  
"Hajimete o-me-ni kakarimasu (5)" Omi said as she walked out the door.  
  
"She seems nice." Ken commented as he watched the girl leave the store.  
  
"Nice legs, nice waist, nice face, nice everything. She was perfect! Too bad she's   
too young for me." Yohji eyes narrowed in thought and glanced evilly at Omi. "Hey   
Omitchi!"  
  
"Nani?"  
  
"She's about the right age for you. You guys would make a kawaii couple. I could   
see it now. Kari and Omi in loooovvvveee. Hurry and run on out and get her. You might   
be able to catch her in time. Go ask her on a date or to the movies. Probably the movies   
since its dark and you two could make out. Teenagers are always hor-"  
  
"YOHJI-KUN!" Omi shouted. His cheeks beginning to turn into a nice shade of   
red.  
  
"Oh look at little Omi. He's blushing. Isn't he just so adorable? He's just like a   
little pup..."  
  
"Yohji..." Aya interrupted. "Stop bothering Omi."   
  
"Yeah." Ken added. "Stop harassing Omi's love life.  
  
"Or lack of one."  
  
"Yohji..."   
  
"What did you say oh powerful leader."  
  
"Hn."  
  
"So we'll back to the 'Hn' again. Aya, you really should consider expanding your   
vocabulary. It's not very healthy if you keep on saying the same things over and over   
again. Well, people might start to think that you're a..."  
  
"Am I interrupting boys?" A voice interrupted the conversation. All four heads   
turned toward the back door. There was a women standing there with her hands on her   
hips and head tilted slightly to the side. She raised a delicate eyebrow in question.  
  
"Iie." Aya answered and went to put up the close sign on the window.  
  
"Hey Manx. Long time no see. Great timing. Business is slow so I can go on my   
break and maybe we could go for a little snack and..."  
  
"Perhaps another time Yohji." When Manx saw that she had the boys' attention   
then she continued. "You have a mission a carry out."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(1) Bishounen-pretty boy  
(2) Sugoi-great  
(3) Omae o korosu-I'll kill you  
(4) Arigatou-thank you  
(5) Hajimete o-me-ni kakarimasu-Nice meeting you 


	2. Shadows of a Cat

Title: The Essence of Innocence  
Chapter 2: Shadow of a Cat  
Author: neko-chan  
email: lilneko_chan@hotmail.com  
Pairing: Aya x Yohji, Crawford x Schuldich  
Possible Pairings: Omi x Ken, Nagi x Farfarello  
Warnings: yaoi, OOC, violence  
  
Disclaimer: Weiss (WeiB) Kreuz is not my creation. It doesn't belong to me and it   
never has so don't sue me. I'm not getting any money off this even though I wish I  
was.   
  
Author's Note: Everything that I want to say is pretty much in the author's note in  
chapter 1. Takatori is dead but Schwarzs is not and no one knows about Aya's sister   
but she's still alive. She's still "sleeping" though but alive. I actually finished   
this fic quiet fast. I was boried at school so I started to write the second part of  
this story and when I went home I just typed it up. I'm just warning you ahead of time  
that I do not finish fics this fast. Usually it would probably take me two to three   
weeks unless its finals or AP exams. Right now I'm just sort of relaxing so I'm writing  
kind of fast. Anyway, that's all that I have to say. Now I need to go back and do my   
French homework. Au Revoir.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Shadow of a Cat  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It was the first night of the new moon. The luminous moon laid in a sea of   
shimmering brightness as the darkness danced around with their everlasting shadows.   
The howling wind blew across the darkened alley sending long blond hair flying into   
bright green eyes.  
  
Dumb hair, Yohji thought. Can't stay in one spot.  
  
Yohji adjusted his sunglasses so that it lied on the bridge of his nose. He crouched   
low next to the warehouse. His black leather pants clung to him like a second skin   
revealing his lengthy yet muscled limbs. His shirt matched his pants leaving little to the   
imagination. If he twisted a certain way the shirt would rise revealing his stomach. Over   
the shirt he wore a trench coat to block the wind.  
  
Damn, Yohji cursed. It's cold, it's windy, and I don't want to be here! I could think   
of a thousand other places that I would rather be then here.  
  
The mission was pretty simple. Go in, get the data, and get out. There had been   
harder assignments. But none as cold as this! Yohji thought angrily. It was less then fifty-  
five degrees. The streets were wet and had begun to ice over. Orphaned animals hid   
themselves in their cozy dens to escape the harsh weather.  
  
Yohji sighed and looked at his teammates to see how they were fairing. He looked   
at the youngest member of Weiss. Omi was wearing his usual shorts, shirt, and jacket   
outfit. He had his arms wrapped around himself as he tried to rub some heat into them.   
His teeth chattered as shivers ran through his small frame. The icy wind hit his face in a   
thousand directions messing up his short blond hair as his checks flushed rosy pink.  
  
Yohji then turned to the second youngest assassin. Ken was more appropriately   
dressed but not by much. He was dressed in almost the same cloths as Omi but had   
omitted the shorts for a pair of jeans. He had his bugnets in one hand as the other rubbed   
down the other arm. His goggles held down most of his chocolate brown hair but a few   
locks got lose. Ken looked at Omi and asked a question. Yohji couldn't hear the question   
since the wind drifted it away but was able to hear Omi's response. "It's not that cold.   
I'm okay."   
  
Yohji decided that it was enough spying on his younger teammates and looked at   
the leader. The cold, detached, taciturn, and anti-social leader, Yohji smirked. Who looks   
totally unfazed by the cold weather. He's definitely the ice prince. Just like Omi and Ken,   
Aya stood looking toward the warehouse. Aya wore a leather trench coat to hide his   
katana. The trench coat fell over a muscled stomach on a tall and lengthy body. One hand   
was on his katana as the other fell loosely at his side. Locks of blood red hair blew away   
from his face revealing a beautiful face with sharp cut features. The features were never   
changing as a hand went to move the silken strings from his eyes.  
  
Aya stood there with an air of indifference, danger and...seductiveness. Sexuality   
practically dripped off him, Yohji thought appreciating. He looks almost too good to eat-  
WAIT a second! What the hell was THAT thought! Well...true Aya was beautiful, Yohji   
compromised. He wasn't cute, or pretty or handsome...he was above that. He was   
beautiful, a bishounen. His pale creamy reflection contrasted greatly to his blood red hair   
and intense violet eyes. His lean body was grace and beauty in one. He was the angel of   
death fallen from heaven and hiding among the mortal men on this world, teasing them   
with his everlasting beauty and untouchable body. Yohji stared at Aya then suddenly he   
was looking into intense violet eyes.  
  
Yohji froze and looked away heat rising into his checks. Yohji pushed down the   
blush that was threatening to take over. To cover his embarrassment he looked at Aya   
who was still looking at him and said, "Like what you see?"  
  
Aya stared at him then looked away.   
  
Phew, he didn't say anything but what was that about! I'm not gay! Yohji's mind   
screamed. I'm not even a yaoi fan! I can't believe that I was staring at him like that...and   
I can't believe he caught me. God, what is he thinking now!? Ahhh, I'll just figure this   
out later...after the mission.  
  
Yohji looked at Aya who signaled to him, Omi, and Ken.   
  
"Bombay, Siberian, you'll go to the east side of the warehouse and cut off all   
telecommunications. Balinese and I will get the data from the laboratory. Iron animasen   
(1)?" Everyone shook his head. "Kekko desu (2). Let's go."  
  
We crossed through the bushes and reached the main doors with two guards   
standing in front of it. Ken jumped on one and knocked him unconscious while Aya   
tackled the other and pinned him to the ground. Bringing the hilt of his sword down on   
the man's head Aya knocked him unconscious. Yohji let his wire slither out of his watch   
and tied the two guards to a nearby tree. Omi opened the two doors and stepped inside.   
  
The warehouse was a large cooperation valued for producing high-leveled   
weapons. The storage room was filled with large boxes many of which were probably   
filled with weapons for corrupt organizations. Iron fences separated the storage to other   
parts of the warehouse. There were two hallways, one leading onto the top floor and the   
alarms while the other lead underground and to the secret confidential offices.   
  
Aya nodded toward Ken and Omi as a sign that they should go. Ken and Omi   
nodded back and scurried to the stairs leading to the top floor. Aya turned to Yohji and   
looked at the other stair. Yohji nodded in understanding and they proceeded underground.   
Yohji had his hands on his wire while Aya held up his katana. They reached the   
underground floor without any difficulty.  
  
Aya then spoke to Yohji. "The files should be in the office to the far left."  
  
"uh...Abyssinian..."  
  
"..."  
  
"Abyssinian?"  
  
"Nani?"  
  
"...far left of which hall..."  
  
"..."  
  
There were hundreds of halls. Halls converged and separated and they lead to   
another. Not only were there hundreds of them but they were also identical.  
  
"We'll search the hall on the left first."  
  
"How many rooms are there?"  
  
"Over two hundred."  
  
"TWO HUNDRED!?" Yohji shouted.  
  
"Shizakani Shinasai (3)!" Aya glared.  
  
"Gomen...but Abyssinian...we can't search all these rooms for the data within   
thirty minutes."  
  
Aya frowned. He knew that we couldn't get the job done within that short of time.   
Aya seemed deep in thought but his violet eyes kept calm. He turned to his communicator   
and turned it on. "Bombay?"  
  
There came a frizzle noise then, "Hai?"  
  
"Do you and Siberian have excess to the warehouse's security info?"  
  
"Hai, Abyssinian."  
  
"I need you to look up which office has the data. Mr. Ishizawa's office."  
  
"Ii desho (4)." Omi said and the communication frizzled out again. After a few   
seconds Omi turned on his communicator back on. "On the fifth hall to your left. It   
should be in room S152."  
  
"Arigatou Omi." Yohji said into his communicator.  
  
"No problem." Then the communicator went dead.  
  
Aya without another word strolled toward S152. Yohji muttered a few words under   
his breath then walked behind the Weiss leader. Yohji looked at the rooms as he went   
by...S144...S145...S147...S150...S151...and ah...S152. Aya turned the doorknob   
holding his katana close in case security was inside.   
  
The door opened slowly and they stepped inside. Yohji felt something behind him   
but when he turned there was nothing there. Doesn't seem to have any movement, Yohji   
thought, but he was still careful and glanced at his back once more. He moved his hand   
and switched on the lights. The lights shined upon the clean room filled with thousands of   
cabinets. Yohji gasped, his eyes widening for a second. God, it's going to take forever!   
  
He moved toward cabinets next to the bookcase and started to flip through   
information. "What exactly are we looking for?"  
  
Aya frowned as he looked at data concerning the building layout. "Biological   
weapons."  
  
This place creates biological weapons!? This is not good, Yohji frowned. "If   
they're creating biological weapons then why aren't we destroying this place?"  
  
"Persia wanted us to get the information first before destroying it."  
  
I suppose that is smart, Yohji contemplated. But I think it would have been better if   
we destroyed this place first. He put the folder back and pulled out another. Let me   
see...Yohji looked at the data...building of the XZ180...training of new recruits...side   
effects of the flea itch bug, what the heck!...visual equipment...biological   
chemicals...human-what was that last one...biological chemicals. Yohji pulled out the   
folder and began to flip through one of the pages...  
  
  
  
September 9  
  
The weapon Demon Ray was created. Using biological chemicals we were able to   
create the most destructive weapon ever known to man. It has the power of a hundred   
times plus of the B695 weapons and a thousand more then the TW-81 bomb. The Demon   
Ray was created at the Hosima Lab in...  
  
  
  
This was it! Yohji thought joyfully. He grabbed the folder and turned to Aya. "I got   
the folder."   
  
Aya looked up and Yohji handed him the folder. He skimmed his eyes through the   
materials and gave a slight nod. They started to put folders and cabinets back in order,   
substituting a fake file for the one that they will take. Aya and Yohji turned and opened   
the door when three load crackling shots pierced the opened door.  
  
They both jumped and ran for cover. The shots continued and splinters flew across   
the room. Aya couldn't fight back since he had a short-distanced weapon. Yohji weapon   
worked better short distance but he could use it from afar. Yohji slowly moved on the   
floor, crawling toward the door. Yohji leaned against the wall and readied his wire as   
Aya took the opposite side ready to run when Yohji used his weapon. Yohji crouched low   
and swung the wire from his fingers and sliced the legs of three armed guards. At their   
confusion Aya and Yohji sprinted across the hall into another room. They landed with a   
load crash and immediately inspected their surroundings.   
  
They were in a laboratory. Animal specimen were caged as they cried for release,   
chemicals in testing tubes were piled on the desks, as papers were placed in their correct   
cabinet. Aya and Yohji looked around finding no escape route.  
  
"K'so!" Aya cursed.  
  
The intercom came on with a shout. "Abyssinian! Balinese! Are you guys there?"  
  
Yohji grabbed the communicator. "Siberian! We're stuck in T189. Guards caught   
us in Ishizawa's office and we ran to this room but there's no escape route."  
  
"Gomen-nasai." Came Omi small voice.  
  
Yohji was confused. Why would Omi be sorry? "Nande?"  
  
"...I was hacking into the system when///" There was a little gulp. "...um...when I   
messed up and the alarms went off. Gomen-nasai!"  
  
"Worry about that later." Aya commanded. "Just get us out now!"  
  
"We'll be there soon." Ken said then the intercom turned off.  
  
Yohji fiddled with this coat. How long when those guards broke down the door?   
Yohji questioned. He looked at Aya. Aya wasn't scared. No. He wasn't even nervous.   
Aya was standing next to the cabinet and looking at some more files. Yohji looked at the   
file in his hand and sighed. This is definitely becoming a more complicated mission then   
I first thought, Yohji sighed. Then a movement caught his eye and before he knew it he   
was moving toward Aya and knocked him to the floor as bullets impelled themselves in   
the shelf above their heads.  
  
When Yohji knocked Aya down they got tangled and ended up in a compromising   
position. Aya was sprawled on the ground with his arms flung wide and hair spilling on   
the floor under him. Yohji landed on top him, his arms and legs each on the side of Aya.   
His glasses were lost and blond hair fell across his eyes. Yohji was stunned. His body   
was pressed against Aya's. He then realized that Aya's body though muscled was   
incredibly soft and smooth. He turned his face, which was buried in the crock of Aya's   
neck to look into Aya's eyes. For the first time Aya's eyes revealed an emotion-surprise   
and something else. Before Yohji would read that emotion Aya's eyes harden and Yohji   
realized that he still hadn't attempted to get off of Aya.   
  
Yohji blushed and ducked his head as he got off his teammate. He was   
embarrassed that he was caught on top of Aya. He was humiliated that he didn't try to get   
off sooner. And he was confused as to why it felt so nice being there. Yohji shook all the   
questions away as he saw another bullet hit the wall two feet away from where he and   
Aya stood. Yohji got up and grabbed Aya's hand and pulled him from the ground and   
started to run toward the office across the room. Damn, Yohji cursed. Where were Omi   
and Ken? They should have been here by now? Yohji ran pulling Aya with him toward   
the office room. The bullets followed them spilling papers and dust. The animals shouted   
and screamed as they ran by and a glass tank shattered as a bullet flew pass it and into the   
wall beside Aya.   
  
Yohji kept on running until he heard a cry behind him. He paused and looked at   
Aya. A bullet impelled itself into Aya's right arm. Blood spurted across the wound as   
Aya clamped a hand down on the wound to stop the bleeding. The guards were closing in   
on them. Yohji pulled out his wire and took out three guards. Three down and...twenty-  
five to go. The odds aren't good, Yohji thought. Yohji took the wire in his hand and   
strangled another guard as Aya sliced through two more using his left arm instead of the   
right. Then something flew pass Yohji's face and hit its mark. A guard fell and Omi   
threw four more darts toward the other guards. Ken was right behind him slicing through   
security as he reached Aya.  
  
"Sorry that we'll late. Some guards detained us." Ken replied to the unanswered   
question.   
  
"It's alright. We were just having a little fun before you came." Yohji teased.  
  
Omi snorted. "Sure. That's why Aya's hurt and you're gasping for breath."  
  
"I'm not hurt!" Aya defended himself.  
  
"Yeah and I'm not breathless." Or maybe I am, Yohji said silently to himself.  
  
"Whatever."  
  
They fought and defended themselves until all but two guards were standing. They   
were being to tire and needed to regroup fast. Aya took down the last two when the doors   
slammed open to reveal thirty more guards armed with high tech machine guns.   
  
"Damn." Yohji muttered. He looked at Aya and saw that the leader of Weiss was   
as clueless as he was. Omi gasped as Ken's eyes widened. They were all tired and needed   
to rest especially since they were hurt. Aya's arm was still bleeding and added to that was   
a stomach and chest wound. Omi was scrapped and bruised but was the best off of the   
four Weiss assassins. Ken was wobbling slightly from a head wound and his leg was   
bleeding. Yohji was shot in the leg and had scrapes and cuts from the glass when he fell   
upon them. In their condition they wouldn't be able to defeat thirty more guards.  
  
Then in a blink of an eye something large and black darted pass them and smashed   
into the line of guards blocking the doors.   
  
"What the hell was that!?" Ken yelled.  
  
More paper, dust and chemicals spilled as the guards fought off the invisible   
attacker. One guard screamed in pain and a loud earth shacking roar was heard.  
  
"What in the world was-" Omi's response was cut short as a large sleek black   
panther pounced on the ground beside them. The animal looked at them with golden-  
green eyes as if assessing them. Then it turned its massive head to the last guard who was   
running toward the panther with a shard of glass. The panther twisted and snapped its   
jaws on the guard's arms then slammed him to the ground. The panther put one large paw   
onto the man's chest then ripped his throat out. The panther then raised its head and let   
out a large roar. It looked at them once more then with a black blur it disappeared just as   
it had come.  
  
Omi was clearly shaken up as he trembled with his arms around himself. Omi was   
the closest of the four when the panther had ripped the guard's throat out. Ken went   
behind him and placed his hand on Omi's shoulder's murmuring reassuring words. Yohji   
was confused as to where the panther had come from then he turned to look at the folder,   
which he dropped during the battle.  
  
"Masaka! Joho wa doko desu ka (5)?"   
  
"Nani?" Omi asked  
  
"The joho!"  
  
We all started to look for it but it was nowhere.  
  
"Where can it go? It was here a minute ago!" Yohji yelled.  
  
"Let's go. If its not here then there is no use staying here." Aya said and pressed a   
pressure point to slow the blood flow from his arm.  
  
They left the warehouse beaten, worn, and without data. Ken got into the driver's   
seat and started up the engine. Omi climbed in next to him and carefully put away his   
darts. Yohji was about to help Aya into his seat when Aya pushed away from him and got   
in himself. Yohji sighed and shook his head. As he climbed into the car he looked back at   
the warehouse then climbed in.  
  
Yohji muttered under his breath as the warehouse began to fade from sight, "Manx   
is definitely not going to like this."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(1) iron animasen-no objections  
(2) kekko desu-all right  
(3) shizakani shinsasai-be quiet  
(4) Ii desho-okay  
(5) Masaka! Joho wa doko desu ka-Oh no! Where is the data? 


	3. Victim of Reality

Title: The Essance of Innocence   
Chapter 3: Victim of Reality   
Author: lilneko-chan   
email: lilneko_chan@hotmail.com   
Pairings: Yohji x Aya, Crawford x Schuldich, Ken x Omi, Farfarello x Nagi  
Warmings: Yaoi, OOC, violence   
  
Disclaimer: Weiss Kreuz (WeiB Kreuz, Knight Hunters or whatever other name they go by) does   
not in any way belong to me. So if you try to sue me then I'll just laugh in your face since   
I only have 5 bucks.   
  
Author's Note: Same as the last two chapters. I don't think that I really have anything to say  
so I hope that you'll like the story. Also any reviews, critism or anything else are always   
welcomed.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Victim of Reality  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The room was beginning to feel hot and stuffy. Aya lay in bed with an arm and legs   
outstretched and the other hand rested on his bare torso. His red hair spread on the white   
pillow like an angel's wing as his bedspread lay crumpled on his still form. His red velvet   
pants rode low on his body showing stomach, torso, and bellybutton.  
  
Something Yohji might wear, Aya thoughts absently.  
  
Aya stretched, raising his pale arms above his head then looked absentmindedly at   
his bare wall. The pale moonlight shined through his slightly opened window and glowed   
upon his mission outfit. The black leather gleamed back dancing wildly in his violet eyes.   
The room lie quiet and undisturbed as if afraid to disturb the peaceful surroundings. The   
light whispered back serene and ever so calm.  
  
Aya twisted in bed, turning onto his side and moved his hand repeatedly along his   
katana that was leaning against his drawer. The katana twinkled in the moonlight calling   
for its master to hold it and seek ever-lasting blood and vengeance. Aya cared for his   
prized possession above all else. This was the same sword that he held on his first   
mission. This was the same sword that he held when he he destroyed the man who was   
the cause of all his sufferings. This was the same sword that he held when he vowed   
vengeance after...  
  
Aya let the thought fall away as he turned over waving a hand under his chin and   
pillow. The soft brightness fell across his smooth pale back, devoid all of scars or cuts   
considering his harsh lifestyle. Aya stared at the wall feeling calm and reasonable when a   
red handkerchief caught his attention as Aya's eyes turned to it slowly. It was Yohji's   
handkerchief...the one that he used when he tied Aya's wounded arm on the ride back to   
the flower house. Aya's eyes stared at it recalling the mission Manx had given them that   
night. The mission failed. They lost the data and a mysterious panther was on the loose.   
Manx was shocked when Aya and his teammates told her about the events of that night.   
Aya's eyes started to lose focus as he relived the moment.  
  
  
Flashback  
  
  
"Jeez Aya, you need to bandage that wound. It's still bleeding pretty badly." Yohji   
warned.  
  
"Could bandage it myself!" Aya said curtly. "What about your leg? It's bleeding as   
well!"  
  
Yohji fix his eyes on at his leg and shrugged. "It's only a glaze. Let me, Omi or   
even Ken take care of that."  
  
"Iie!"  
  
"Aya..."  
  
"Tondemonai! (1)"  
  
"...fine. Do want you want to. Remember that I volunteered to help." Yohji walked   
away to look after Ken's wounds with Omi close by acting as the mother hen.  
  
Aya looked away and took off his shirt. The wound was in dire condition. The   
wound was deep, displaying flesh as blood swelled over the cut. Aya took a pair of   
tweezers and used it to pull the bullet out. Blood trickled out as Aya crunched his teeth to   
hide the pain. The wound began to throb as Aya took a hold of the bullet and started to   
pull it out. The bullet slide out smoothly as Aya stared at it for a moment and let it slip   
into the trashcan.   
  
Aya laid the tweezers down gently on the kitchen counter as he curled his figures   
around the edge and closed his eyes. Aya sucked in his breathe and exhaled slowly to   
calm his pounding heart. Something soft and wet touched his wound lightly and a pair of   
long figures tightens their hold on his upper arm. Aya's eyes flew open as looked down at   
the head of the oldest Weiss assassin. Yohji's head was bent down fixing his eyes on the   
wound.   
  
"I told you that you needed help." Yohji said softly. He dabbed at the wound then   
dipped the cloth into the bowl of water and washed out the blood.  
  
"You should stop trying to be indifferent and relax some more." Yohji set the cloth   
down after he had cleaned the wound and started to bandage it. "Go out and have some   
fun. We're still young so appreciate life as it lasts."  
  
Yohji put the finishing touches on the bandage and looked up. "Done."   
  
They stayed in that position never moving. Yohji's touch lingered on his arm as   
they stared at each other's eyes. Yohji opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted   
when the doorbell rung and there stood Manx dressed in her usual sexy cloths and with   
her apathetic expression. Aya saw that Yohji's eyes look blankly at Manx but a second   
later his eyes brighten. The older Weiss let go of Aya's arm then he started to glide   
toward Manx with a smile on his face.  
  
"Hello Manx. It's a pleasure to see you again on this beautiful night. O genki desu   
ka? (2)  
  
Manx smiled but her face remained neutral. "Konnichiwa Yohji-san. I'm doing   
well." She turned and looked at Aya taking in his bandage arm. "How was the mission?"  
  
Omi watched the ground, shuffling his feet across it. Ken twisted his figures behind   
his head but keep a small but steady look at Manx. Yohji stood there with a hand on his   
hip while the other hand reached inside his pocket for some cigarettes. He seemed   
unaffected by the question. Aya also was unfazed by the question as he kept Manx's   
steady gaze.  
  
In a slow voice he said, "We did not get the data."  
  
Manx raised a dedicate eyebrow in question but did not speak. Omi looked up   
taking a hesitant step in the direction of Manx. "I messed up and the guards were   
alerted." Omi admitted guiltily.  
  
Ken stepped in and supplied the rest, "We were fighting the guards but then thirty   
more guards came and...um well..."  
  
Ken turned quiet when he tried to think mentally as to how he should phrase the   
next statement. Yohji became restless then said the rest, "Then a panther came and saved   
us."  
  
Manx blinked then cocked her head at Aya. "A panther?"  
  
Aya gazed at her then nodded. "Hai. The panther killed the remaining guards then   
disappeared. We lost the data during the battle and could not find it afterwards."  
  
Manx looked at him thoughtfully. Her eyes lost their severe gaze instead taking on a   
faraway and distracted look. She raised one hand to her chin, thoughtfully tapping a   
slender red nail on her rosy cheek. Her other arm supported the other arm as she placed it   
across her stomach and under the arm. She tightened her red lips together in thought then   
seemed to come to a conclusion.  
  
"I'll tell Persia about this new development. The panther was an unknown   
element."  
  
Omi spoke out, "Was the data...very important or was it..."  
  
"The data was important but not necessary. There are other ways to get   
information. Do not worry too much, Omi."  
  
Omi nodded seemingly more assured. Manx looked at each of them and exited the   
Koneko no Sumu Ie. Yohji lifted the cigarette from his mouth and blew out a cloud of   
smoke disregarding the others in the room. Yohji sat in the stool that was next to the   
kitchen table. He turned the cigarette in his hand and stared at it evenly. He moved the   
cigarette toward his mouth as he prepared to take a puff.   
  
"Yohji-kun!"  
  
"Nani!?"  
  
"You're going to kill all the flowers." Omi whined.  
  
"Just one smoke."  
  
"Yohji-kun!"  
  
"...eh, all right." Yohji sighed and put out the cigarette.  
  
"Arigatou Yohji-kun." Omi replied  
  
"Whatever."  
  
Ken smiled, picked up his weapon and went upstairs as Yohji and Omi argued   
about flowers and cigarettes. Aya glared at them then picked his way up the stairs   
himself. He felt a stare at his back but didn't turn around.  
  
"...cigarettes are bad for you."  
  
"So is this city but you're still here."  
  
"That different."  
  
"How?"  
  
"Well...um...its just different."  
  
"Whatever you say bishounen."  
  
"Don't call me that."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I don't like it."  
  
"Well, you can't get everything that you want bishou-"  
  
Aya shook his head as he made his way to his bedroom drowning out the sounds   
that came from inside the kitchen.  
  
  
End Flashback  
  
  
Aya rolled again, insomniac taking over his exhausted body. He groaned and   
rubbed a slender hand over his eyes. He mind rolled over the events of the mission. It was   
a simple mission, not one to fail. He remembered how the guards had discovered them in   
the office then the running and after he got thrown onto the ground by Yohji's weight.   
Aya was confused. There was a tightening in his chest that he never felt before. Aya's   
hand curled around his blanket as he lay on his back. His thoughts once again returned to   
the lengthy blond not two rooms away. Aya recalled the way Yohji's skin felt when he   
tended his wound. Soft and smooth skin as they applied gentle pressure. Aya shook his   
head to rid himself of the nagging feelings.   
  
Baka, Aya thought, you get shaken up in a little mission and now you're thinking   
about the stupid playboy. Pathetic.  
  
Aya got out of bed knowing that sleep wouldn't come to him that night. Aya slid   
off the covers covering his torso and grabbed a black shirt and pulled it on. Aya was   
tempted to get his orange sweater but resisted the urge. He opened the door to his room   
and walked into the hallway. The others were in their rooms asleep. The hallway gave off   
an eerie feeling of emptiness as Aya slipped into the darkness and left the flower house.  
  
There weren't many pedestrians on the streets at the early hour. The silence went   
on for eternity as darkness lurked in their shadowy depts. Aya's footsteps echoed across   
the emptied street that he knew so well. His hands dug into his pants pockets as the   
chilling air caressed over his bare arms. His hair danced along the hovering wind as a   
white dove fluttered in the midnight sky. It seemed as if there was magic in the air as a   
shooting star shot through the midnight sky.  
  
Aya looked up as he reached his destination. A large white building towered above   
him. Lights beamed out forcing the darkness away. He slid his hand along the metal rail   
as he climbed the stairs to the main doors.   
  
The mechanical doors opened as Aya stepped inside. People in white coasts and   
hats passed him as he made his way to the main desk. A young woman looked up at him   
as he reached the counter.  
  
"Konnichiwa, Mr. Fujinami. O genki desu ka?" She asked  
  
"I've been well."  
  
The young women pushed her waterfall of black hair over her shoulders revealing   
a nametag saying "Ms. Ayumi: Assistant Nurse"  
  
"The room had just been cleaned and the medications are coming soon. You could   
go in now."  
  
"Arigatou, Ayumi-san."  
  
"It's all right Ran-san."  
  
The nurse watched as Aya walked toward the room as she shook her head sadly.  
  
"Zannen desu ne (3)." she whispered then turned back to her work.  
  
Aya walked across the hall until he reached the room he was heading for. He   
opened the door to room 438 and looked inside. The room was bare of any living beings   
except for one lone figure lying still in the hospital bed. A beeping sound came from a   
monitor close by. Aya walked to the figure and pulled a chair from the wall and sat down.   
He moved the chair until he was sitting next to the head of the bed and tenderly touched   
the forehead of the patient.  
  
The young girl did not stir as Aya stroked the locks of raven black hair away form   
her eyes. Her face was youthful and serene as she lay still on the bed. Aya looked into her   
face watching for any movement but none came. Sadness and guilt filled his eyes as he   
looked down into his imouto's face.  
  
"I killed Takatori and took down his business." He whispered softly. "...I helped   
other people in trouble and looked after you...but...you still haven't woken up...Why?"  
  
An answer never came as Aya laid his head down on the bed and shut his eyes.   
  
I'm so tired, Aya thought. I wish that this nightmare would just end.  
  
Outside the bedroom window night slowly succumbed to day as little golden rings   
of sunlight pierced the everlasting depths of darkness.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(1) tondemonai-no way  
(2) o genki desu ka-how are you  
(3) zannen desu ne-it's such a pity 


	4. A Child by Tiger

itle: The Essence of Innocence   
Chapter 4: A Child by Tiger   
Author: lilneko_chan   
email: lilneko_chan@hotmail.com   
Pairings: Yohji x Aya, Brad x Schuldich, Ken x Omi, Farfarello x Nagi   
Warnings: Yaoi, OOC, violence, nudity   
  
Disclamier: Weiss Kreuz doesn't belong to me blah, blah, blah. Disclamiers are pretty much   
the same as the first three chapter so I'm going to stope writting them but they still  
apply to future chapters.  
  
Author's Note: Finally this is in Omi's POV rather then Yohji's or Aya's. I added one of   
my all time favorite poems so I hope that you enjoy it. There's some nudity in the fic but   
nothing to extreme. You get to see Omi naked. NO! He doesn't do anything naghty. Also, yes   
Schwarz's symbol is going to be a unicorn. Why? You'll find out in future chapters. Anyway   
that's all that I have to say. I corrected some mistakes over in this chapter but I suck at   
grammer so there's probably another hundred and thousand more mistakes somewhere that I didn't  
find. Anyway, please review or send me your comments through email.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A Child by Tiger  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Tiger! Tiger! burning bright  
In the forest of the night  
What immortal hand or eye,  
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?  
  
  
Swarms of colors swirled around in space, dancing along the eternal edge. Pastels   
of blue, green, yellow, and pink played joyfully as they fell from heaven's tears. Mystical   
beasts of long lost tales came alive as the unicorns of serenity prance along the never-  
ending sea. Demonous beasts of the devil's own thundered across the hunting field as   
their prey returns from the light where hence they came. The sweet and gold-colored   
lights succumbed to the cavern of darkness as wet finger-dripping pieces rest at the   
bottom of death. Hades and his chariot of darkness pushed way through the light as the   
pale colors of beauty fades just as the light.  
  
Large innocent blue eyes glanced through the magical world in a veil of a wall. Sky   
blue eyes glanced through the world of dark as chaos ringed in the heart of innocence.   
Through the darkness of black a single red is seen. A rose of life stands tall even as   
reality collapses. Then the burning heat arises and the little rose lives inside the flame of   
desire. A flaming wall surrounds the rose as the blackness around tries to consume it.   
Then small feathers of the angel's wings floats along the gentle breeze as the flaming bull   
races through them. The fire becomes alive. Fire of rebirth glows soundly in the dark as   
the gentle hand reaches out to hold it in its palm. The cornflower blue eyes become   
entranced as the little feather lands lightly upon its outstretched palm.   
  
Then a blast of light glazes the eyes as they shut tightly to drive away the pain. Just   
as it came it disappeared into the darkness. Blue eyes opened slowly only to peer into a   
pair of never-ending eyes. The universe deepened the eyes shown with such dept that one   
can see the ending of shooting stars and worldly planets as galaxies and stars are reborn   
while the burning sun shines everlasting in the magical world of never land. The eyes   
stared calmly at him then with a sudden movement they blinked. Heat flared as the   
scorching red arises.   
  
The beast leaped high into the air, spread its massive wings and let out a screeching   
call. The bird's body flew into the sky leaving specs of fire behind. A red tail of fire was   
left in its end. Next a pure white light shot through the bird and afterwards everything   
was gone leaving an emptiness of pitch black behind. The heat of the sun, the redness of   
fire, and the firebird were gone. In its stead flowed little specs of snow and feathers.   
Little white snowflakes covered the ground as feathers fell from heaven's grace to   
imprint its soul into the little specs of white.   
  
There in the white stood one lone figure. Shadows crept up the figure as the pale   
blue eyes squinted to see. White wings decorated the person's back as a hand was held   
out toward the beholder. Bright bloody drops of red fell silently from the outstretched   
hand as they landed quietly upon the pure white snow. Red drops penetrated the great   
vastness of white as feathers danced around in their silvery chains. A gentle brush of   
wind raffled the angel's wings. A shape was beginning to form as the darkness let away   
their deadly clasps. The blue eyes squinted through the snow and fog then with a second   
burst of light the angel disappeared and a sleek black panther lie in its stead.   
  
An earth-shattering roar was let lose as the night beast looked on. The panther   
glanced at the owner of the eyes then crutched low for a fight. It leaped high into the air   
almost soaring as it knelt down and pounced. Adrenaline and fear shattered as the panther   
raced on. A spark of panic arose in the blue eyes as the beast came closer. The panther   
laid low for one last leap as it opened its massive jaws. Blue eyes widen fearfully as a cry   
arose it the owners throat then with a blur the panther leaped and snapped its jaws   
bringing blood, death and destruction as it made its last hunt. Endless eyes stared back   
waiting and waiting...  
  
Omi awoke with a terrifying scream. He hunched over, clutching the blanket with   
his white knuckles. Short gasps were heard in the silence as his pounding heart began to   
beat. Omi crutched his shirt in his hands as he tried to calm his breathing. Beads of sweat   
ran down his forehead as shivers ran up his small frame. Honey colored blond hair fell   
into his blue eyes as his shoulders trembled. His blue eyes were large and frightened as   
he pressed a small dedicate hand to his racing heart. When minutes passed and the figure   
never moved except with few gasp of breath. Sky blue eyes soften slightly as he moved   
his hand to wipe the sweat off his bow. Omi glanced at the table and the clock read six   
twenty.   
  
...Gakko (1)...its time to go to gakko, Omi brain registered. Omi's breathing began   
to even out and his heart started to slow to its normal pace. Omi closed his eyes as he let   
his hand fall forgotten upon the bed covers. Omi shook his head as hair and sweat flew.   
Omi glanced at the empty wall in front of him as he whispered to himself, "It was just a   
dream."  
  
Omi swept the covers off of him as he swung his legs over the bed then stopped.   
Omi glanced at the floor and saw a small origami crane. He bent over and picked it up.   
Omi held the small crane in his hand as he stared at it. With a small nervous laughed he   
set it on the table.  
  
"Getting nervous because of a silly dream." Omi half laughed.  
  
Omi slide off the bed and onto the cold floor. The icy cold seeped into his bare   
naked feet as they traveled across the room. Omi gathered his uniform under one arm as   
the other reached toward the doorknob. Omi slowly turned it and peeked into the hall.   
  
Relieved, Omi gently pushed the door and stepped into the hall. Everything was   
still as the silence consumed the house. Omi looked around and saw that his teammates'   
doors were all closed. Everyone is still asleep, Omi sighed. Good, I didn't want to wake   
them. He knew that Yohji-kun was a late sleeper and that something was bothering the   
oldest teammate. Something seems to be bothering Aya-kun as well, Omi observed. In   
the ride back to the Koneko no Sumu Ie he was unusually more quiet then usual.   
  
"Something is bothering both Yohji-kun and Aya-kun..." Omi mused. And   
Ken...Omi's hand paused on the bathroom doorknob. Ken was...Omi sighed and looked   
back at his friend's door. Ken was...well Ken. When they got back Ken as usual fused   
over Omi's wounds.  
  
I wasn't even that hurt, Omi thought, Ken was more hurt then me.  
  
Omi sighed then turned the door handle and stepped inside. He stripped off his   
clothes until he was bare and looked into the mirror. A thin bony but slim body greeted   
his eyes as he looked on. Cornflower blue eyes reflect back as him as Omi looked away   
hating what he saw. My eyes...so innocent, sweet, and serene but underneath   
...underneath a shadow of guilt, sadness, and...wistfulness. Omi turned around and   
switch on the hot water in the shower. Steam started to blind the reflecting mirrors as   
Omi folded his clothes neatly into a stack. He ran a hand through the water satisfied with   
the temperature and stepped in. His creamy reflection turned to a rosy blemish as the heat   
clashed upon his nude body. He got the bar of soup and ran it over his body.  
  
The dream...Omi thought, that dream of a bird with flames spurting from its   
wings...what was that...was it...a phoenix...why would I be dreaming of a phoenix?   
And the panther...he reminds me of that poem...  
  
  
In what distant deeps or skies  
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?  
On what wings dare he aspire?  
What the hand dare seize the fire?  
  
  
Shadows of the dream plagued his mind as he showered off the soapy water. He   
ran his small hand down his chest as the mountain of waterfall fell down his back.   
Glittering light reflected into the fog as little drops of water sprinkled down from his   
eyelashes. Omi combed his slender fingers through his hair as he shook the water from   
them.  
  
Water poured down on his youthful face then tricked down. The liquid caressed his   
soft skin and washed away the last essence of soup. Omi fumbled for the handle and   
turned off the water. A cloud of steam erupted form the shower as Omi stopped out. He   
grabbed the blue towel hanging off the rack and began to rub it against his blond hair,   
sending drops of water flying across the bathroom.   
  
When he was satisfied with the dryness of his hair he wrapped the now wet towel   
around his tiny waist and rubbed the steam off part of the mirror. He pulled out a comb   
from the drawer next to him and ran it through his hair slicking it back. I know that when   
it dries it's going to go tumbling back into my eyes but I don't care, Omi defended   
himself from his reflection.  
  
Omi dried the rest of his body and started to pull on his school uniform. After he   
was done he stood in front of the mirror and inspected himself. A button up white shirt   
was pressed tightly against his upper body as he played with the tie attempting to tie it   
properly. He left the top two buttons of the shirt open. I know that school policy is to   
button it all but...it's so uncomfortable. It feels as if it's trying to chock me, Omi thought   
darkly. Dark green pants and a black belt completed the outfit as Omi pulled on a black   
watch over his left hand. It isn't like I detest the uniform, Omi mused, but if I had a   
choice I would at least make it more comfortable.  
  
Satisfied with his appearance Omi left the bathroom and jogged down the stairs.   
The house was still silent, as nobody has woken up.  
  
"Aya-kun and Ken-kun should be down soon." Omi observed as he looked at the   
clock. Yohji wasn't a morning person and Omi had school so that meant that Aya and   
Ken got the morning shifts. Omi ran to the refrigerator and tugged it open. He took out   
the orange juice and some toast. He put the toast into the microwave and pored some   
orange juice for himself. Omi ran to the living room and pulled his backpack over one   
shoulder. When he got back to the kitchen the toast was ready.  
  
Omi glimpsed at the clock and did a double take, "Kuso! I'm late!"  
  
He grabbed the toast from the microwave and ran out of the house with his books in   
one arm. Tokiko High School wasn't too far form the Koneko no Sumu Ie but it did take   
some time getting there when walking or in this case running.   
  
Omi flew pass the few pedestrians on the streets determined to get to school on   
time. If he was late then he would get his ID taken away and be lectured about merit   
punctuality. If he were very late then he would be locked out of the school. The last thing   
that I need is a record for being late, Omi sighed. The breeze blew his hair from his face   
as colors began to blur in front of his face. The little rings of sunlight glinted off from the   
blear blue sky as the morning dew filled his nose with their refreshing scent.  
  
Even with the fresh breeze to calm his nerves he couldn't help but feel as if he was   
being followed. Omi spun his head around but saw no one. Maybe it's my nerves, Omi   
contemplated. The dream still lurked in his mind. Omi couldn't shake the feeling of dread   
that overcame him ever since the mission the night before. The dream only intensified   
that feeling.   
  
  
And what shoulder, and what art  
Cloud twist the sinews of thy heart?  
And when thy heart began to beat,  
What dread hand? And what dread feet?  
  
  
Omi continued to run hoping that he wouldn't be late but deep inside dreading   
what was going to happen next. His legs raced toward the end of the block and he flew   
across to the over side. So deep in his thoughts he never noticed the figure standing in   
front of him until he clashed into something hard. Omi slammed into the figure then felt   
his own body falling onto the floor. Today is just not my day, Omi thought wearily right   
before he slammed into the concert floor.  
  
Omi saw blurs of red and black dots in front of his eyes, as he lay sprawled on the   
cold concert sidewalk. His vision began to unfocused, as the air to his brain seemed to   
have lost its way. Omi attempted to get into a sitting position but his vision spun and he   
decided to lie back down. His breathing was heavy as he shook his head at his   
clumsiness, which only intensified his headache.   
  
What did I do? Run into a brick wall. Jeez, what a headache, Omi remarked   
mentally.   
  
Omi had his eyes closed trying to rid himself of the headache. It was beginning to   
recede and Omi attempted again to get into an upright position. Omi was able to do this   
with little trouble and rubbed a small hand on his forehead. I can't believe I ran into   
someone. Kuso! Where is the man I ran into!? I hope he isn't hurt! Omi eyes opened   
suddenly as his brain registered the statement.  
  
Omi opened his mouth to apologize, "Gomen-nasai! I didn't mean to run into you   
like that."   
  
"No need for apologizes Bombay." A voice in front of him replied.  
  
  
What the hammer? What the chair?  
In what furnace was thy brain?  
What the anvil? What dread grasp  
Dare its deadly terms clasp?  
  
  
Omi's shocked eyes flew up into the boy that he ran into. Shock flashed through   
his eyes as he laid them on Nagi Nagoe of Schwarz. Schwarz was the long time rival of   
Weiss. They were the black to Weiss's white. Omi saw that Nagi held out a hand to him.   
Omi jumped back knocking Nagi's hand away at the same time. Omi instinctively   
reached behind him to grab his darts but found nothing.  
  
Augh, Omi cursed. I left them at home. I didn't think that I was going to run into a   
member of Schwarz while I was at school.  
  
"It seems that you did not bring your weapon with you, Bombay." Nagi stated as if   
the encounter with his archrival did not faze him.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Omi asked trying to cover up the fear that began to   
swell up in his heart. His hand tightened their hold on his backpack strap.  
  
"School of coarse." Was the calm reply.  
  
Omi blinked then looked down. Just as Nagi said he was dressed in the same   
uniform as Omi. He wore the same shirt but with the all the buttons buttoned and the tie   
properly knotted. The uniform clung to his slim figure emphasizing his curves. The pants   
covered his limbs as they hugged their slimness, Omi mussed. The Schwarz's black hair   
fell uncaring into his dark brown eyes. The tips of his bangs lay gently upon the smooth   
pale cheeks. Pink lips were settled under a perk nose and cold eyes. The uniform brought   
out the element of the boy. It left little to the imagination. Omi blushed when he realized   
the direction of his thoughts.  
  
Nagi hid the laugh that threatened to erupt. I've been hanging around Schudich too   
much. Now I'm starting to think like him. Nagi shook his head in disgust.  
  
He stuffed a slim hand into his back pocket as Omi still looked down at the ground   
in embarrassment. Nagi fished through his pockets trying to find something. Omi peeked   
through his bangs to see what the psychic was doing. He automatically tensed and   
looking suspiciously at Nagi.  
  
  
When the starts threw down their spears  
And water's heaven with their tears,  
Did he smile his work to see?  
Did he who made the lamb make thee?  
  
  
Is he going to attack me with he powers? Omi wondered. He said that he was going   
to Tokiko High School but...he would have known that was the school I was attending.   
With Schudich in his team he couldn't not have known. What is Schwarz up too?  
  
Nagi pulled his hand out from his pockets and Omi clutched his hand waiting for   
the attack. Nothing came. Omi blinked and turned back to Nagi. Held out was a small   
shiny black pin that reflected numerous colors as the sunlight hit it at an angle.   
  
"What's this?"  
  
"A pin."  
  
"What is it for?"  
  
"A truce."  
  
"A WHAT!?"   
  
"A truce. A truce between Schwarz and Weiss."  
  
Omi started at Nagi unbelieving thinking that perhaps the youngest Schwarz   
member had gone over the edge. That or he was trying to trick him. Nagi's expression   
was serious. Omi gulped not know what to do. He gradually took the pin into his hand   
and tested its weight. Seems original...and expensive, Omi observed. The pin was gold   
plated with a picture of what looked to be a white unicorn plastered onto a black and   
green surface. The black and green background swirled around each other creating a   
complex but beautiful design.  
  
I'll give them this. They have good tastes in pins if not in clothes. Omi   
remembered the various outfits that Schwarz wore and shook his head.   
  
Omi tested a tender figure against the surface and felt the cold metal seep into his   
finger. Should I believe him? Omi turned and inspected the telekinesis under long blond   
lashes. He seems sincere...but I don't know. What to do? If only Ken was here.  
  
"What is the design?"  
  
"The symbol of Schwarz."  
  
"A unicorn!?"  
  
A shrug was the only answer. Omi thought. "Why are you coming to me? Why   
don't you go to Abyssinian? He's the leader."  
  
"So he would unsheathe his katana and shout 'shinne' then try to slice us into little   
tiny pieces." Nagi humped. "I think that I would rather go to someone a little less   
melodramatic."   
  
Omi thought that over and saw the reason to it. Of all the Weiss assassins he would   
be the best choice to confront. He unlike his teammates would not have attack Schwarz   
on sight. Omi was a little more understanding and wouldn't have wanted to create a   
public display. He would have at least tried to find the reason why Schwarz wanted to   
speak to them respectively.  
  
Or, Omi thought wearily, it's because I'm the youngest and I'm guessing idiotic as   
well since I actually believe him.   
  
Nagi studied Omi's expression then took a small step forward. Omi saw this and   
instinctively took a step backwards just as Nagi's hand came up brushed against his   
cheeks. Omi flushed and cursed himself for doing so. This time Nagi did smirk and a   
laugh bubbled in his throat. Omi shaded again turning to a bright red. Before Omi could   
say anything to defend himself Nagi took control of the situation and gave Omi the   
information that he was suppose to pass on. "Crawford-san sent me as the messenger to   
try to arrange a meeting between Schwarz and Weiss. We are sincere in the truce. I   
thought that you would be more understanding then the rest of Weiss."  
  
"And why should I believe you?"  
  
"Because I'm saying the truth."  
  
Omi wasn't convinced. "..."  
  
"This is the number..." Nagi held up a business card. "Where you can contact   
Crawford-san. It is his business card. If Weiss is willing to meet with us then please call   
this number. It would beneficial if you send us a kotozuke (2) within the next three days."   
With that Nagi turned around and walked toward the school.   
  
"That was...weird." Omi muttered under his breathe. He watched as Nagi   
continued to walk down the street briskly. He stared at the retreating back of the   
telekinesis until he disappeared from sight then Omi glanced down at the card.   
  
I wonder what they are up to, Omi wondered. I don't understand all this! There are   
too many questions I want to ask him. Why do they want a truce? Why did they give me   
the pin? Why is Nagi going to my school!? SCHOOL!  
  
Omi looked down at his watch and gasped. "I'm late!" Omi stuffed the business   
card in his pocket and grabbed his forgotten books off from the sidewalk. I'll tell Aya-  
kun when I get back from school. Omi slipped his backpack more steadily on his back   
then darted down the street.  
  
"Damn! This is what I get for talking to myself. If I don't stop the mental talking   
I'm going to turn to be like Squall in Final Fantasy VIII or Farfarello." Omi shuttered at   
the thought and ran to Tokiko High School hoping that he wasn't too late.  
  
"I'm definitely going to hear that lecture on merit behavior. I just hope that they   
won't lock me out of the gates..." Omi let the thought run as he raced down the street   
with the card clutched in his pocket. Aya-kun is definitely not going to like this new   
development, Omi thought wearily as he caught sight of Tokiko High School.  
  
  
Tiger! Tiger! burning bright  
In the forest of the night  
What immortal hand or eye,  
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The poem "The Tiger" was written by author William Blake  
  
(1) gakko-school  
(2) kotozuke-message 


	5. Temporary Peace

Title: Essance of Innocence  
Chapter 5: Temperory Peace  
Author: lilneko_chan  
email: lilneko_chan@hotmail.com  
Pairing: Yohji x Aya, Ken x Omi, Crawford x Schuldich, Farfarello x Nagi  
Warnings: Yaoi, OOC  
  
Author's Note: Sorry guys that this took so long. I know that I haven't really been writing in   
the last...um...seven months...hehe...I was really busy with school work and stuff. To all   
the future Juniors of high school let me tell you that it is going to be hell and that you're  
not going to have any free time since you're going to have test after test after another damned   
test. SAT sucks ass but let's not get off the subject. I know that in the summary that I wrote  
was about this fic was about Crawford finding his sister or something like that. At this point   
in the story I have been setting up the plot so. Crawford's sister will show up later in the   
later chapters. Also there will be more pairings since I'm going to be introducing new characters  
but for now the pairings on the top are the ones I'm going to work with. For all you Nagi lovers   
I haven't forgotten him. I'm kinda wondering if I should put him with Farferello or with  
an original character. I think that I'm going to go with Farfarello x Nagi instead of putting   
Nagi with an original character. Oh also /blah...blah...blah.../ are going to be projected   
thoughts and blah are going to be a flashback or dream sequence. I also corrected some (um...  
a lot) of the mistakes in the chapters. I really suck at grammer so most likely there are a lot   
of mistakes still in the chapter. If you find any mistakes and would like to tell that you be   
very helpful. Also Schu's name can be spelled either Schuldich or Schuldig but I'm  
gonna keep it as Schuldich. Oh, for Schuldich lovers the next chapter will be in the POV of   
Schuldich. Well I guess that I don't have anything else to say. Since its summer I have alot   
more time to spend on these fics. No more school and no more homework. What more can a teenager   
ask for ^^   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Temporary Peace  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The glimmering sunlight split the air as the bright butterflies hovered in the clear   
blue sky. Myriads of flowers flowed gently across the sun bitten room. Heat drifted   
through the gleaming windows as they pressed soothingly upon bare skin. Beams of light   
fell on small pale hands as they wrapped around a rosy flower petal. They stroked the   
blossoms spilling glimmers of water in its wake. The flowers seemed to lean into the   
touch as if seeking its warmth. The hands clasped the flower and settled it with the other   
plants in the basket. The figure stood up as the breeze picked with soft golden hair. A   
graceful hand brushed the golden locks from his face as cornflower blue eyes looked up   
into chocolate brown.   
  
"...and my okason is coming back. So...I was wondering if...you would like to, I   
mean if you can..come to my party."  
  
Ken broke away from the large blue eyes then blinked at the small brunette   
standing next to him. Ken ducked his head when he realized that the girl was looking up   
at him expectantly. "Gomen-nasai, Mai. What did you say?"  
  
"Ken!" Mai exclaimed. "I asked if you wanted to come to my party."  
  
"..." Ken bit his bottom lip trying to find a nice way to let the girl down. What to   
do? What to say? Ken thought hurriedly. Ack...I can't think of an excuse.  
  
Ken shifted his eyes trying to find a distraction. His brown eyes automatically   
returned to the blond standing in front of the flower shop. The youngest assassin had   
stopped gathering flowers and was now watering the flowers. Omi swished the water   
upon the plants as he moved the hose. Ken saw Omi's slim body dance around flowers as   
gleams of gold reflected off his blond hair. Omi turned around and splashed more water   
onto the pavement as he tugged his shirt down. The shirt had risen high on his lithe   
stomach.   
  
Ken stared transfixed at the view of pale smooth skin until the shirt was pulled   
down obstructing his view of the perfect beautiful body. Ken looked at the small hands   
that rubbed over the slender stomach pushing the shirt down more. Omi stretched his   
small body as he raised his hands above his head.   
  
Beautiful, Ken thought appreciating, like an angle. Soft creamy skin stretched over   
a slim yet muscular stomach...I wonder what he would do if I ran my hands over the   
stretch of skin.   
  
Damn! Ken shook his head. Baka! Got to stop thinking of Omi like that. You   
SHOULDN'T be thinking about Omi like that!  
  
Ken shook his head again at the nagging thoughts. He turned his face from the   
angel and faced the young girl again. "Um...gomen Mai. I don't think that I would be   
able to attend your party. There's just so much work that we need to finish in the shop."  
  
"That's all right Ken." Mai smiled.  
  
Ken opened his mouth about to reply when a sultry yet cold voice interrupted him.   
"If you are not buying any flowers then leave."   
  
Ken looked back as Aya and Yohji entered the Koneko no Sumu Ie from the   
backroom. Aya was carrying a bundle of fresh flowers while Yohji had a flower   
arrangement in one hand. Aya walked around the back of the counter and seated himself   
next to the cashier. Yohji walked toward a red haired woman and handed her the   
arrangement. He had a hand on his waist while the other made some gestures as he   
explained something to the woman.   
  
While Ken watered the plants Omi walked in, glancing at the soccer player he then   
helped him water the rest of the flowers. The Weiss assassins worked silently as an   
occasional customer stopped them with questions. Aya's quiet glare and Yohji's smooth   
flirting entertained the customers, as Ken turned from plant to plant-pouring water on   
them. A small but noticeable tug brought his eyes down into large blue eyes again.   
  
"Is something wrong?" asked Ken.  
  
Omi's eyebrows scrunched together as he looked deep in thought. Kawaii, Ken   
thought.   
  
"Something is wrong with Aya-kun and Yohji-kun."  
  
Ken blinked, "Something's wrong with them?"  
  
Omi shook his head at Ken's ignorance but smiled sweetly, "They've been acting   
weird ever since the...um..." Omi trailed off as a group of girls passed them.  
  
Confusion flooded into Ken's eyes as he turned toward where Yohji stood. The   
playboy was still flirting with the pretty red head but he didn't seem like he was truly   
interested in the conversation. One of Ken's eyebrows lifted but his expression otherwise   
remained unchanged. Ken studied Yohji intensely but other then the uninterested   
expression on Yohji's face he did not find anything wrong.  
  
I don't see anything weird, Ken contemplated. Yohji is just talking with the girl.   
He seems a little uninterested but that's all...wait...Yohji is talking with the girl but he   
keeps glancing to the side...  
  
Ken looked at the direction of Yohji's gaze and saw Aya. Confusion filled Ken's   
eyes as he kept glancing between Yohji and Aya. Omi was studying Ken's facial   
expression and chuckled when he saw the bafflement there and gripped Ken's hand to get   
his attention.  
  
Ken looked down and tilted his head in question. Omi got on his tiptoes and   
whispered into Ken's ear. "Look at the expression that Yohji-kun is looking at Aya-kun."  
  
Ken gave a small nod and turned back to Yohji. True enough Omi was right again.   
Instead of his usual carefree expression Yohji seemed to stare inventively at Aya as if he   
was trying to figure out a puzzle that he couldn't solve. Shifted glances and sneaked   
peaks were turned towards the redhead. The oldest assassin seemed as if he couldn't stop   
looking at the tall beauty.  
  
Ken then turned toward Aya. He doesn't seem to notice the slide glances, Ken   
observed, but then again it's Aya, the cold taciturn leader of Weiss. He couldn't not have   
known.  
  
Ken stared more intently and something sparked in his mind. Aya was acting a   
little different as well. Everything he did was steady and graceful as usual but there was   
just something a little off. His gestures and movements were a little stiff rather then   
graceful. Something just was not right. Aya wasn't an emotional person or at least he   
didn't show his emotions but the way he sat on the stool was a little more rigid then   
usual. Aya's back was a little stiffer as he stared intensively at the figurations of taxes for   
the shop. He was also clearly avoiding Yohji. When Aya glanced around the flower shop   
his gaze would quickly shift pass Yohji then go back to the bills.  
  
That's...interesting. I wonder why they're acting weird, Ken pondered. Omi had   
been looking at Ken. "Ken?" Omi asked in a soft voice.  
  
"They're avoiding each other but that's probably because they are paranoid about   
Schwarz."  
  
"Aya-kun paranoid?"  
  
"Well maybe not paranoid but a little confused just like the rest of us. We don't   
know what Schwarz is up to. We don't even know why they would want a truce with us.   
We are the enemies even if Takatori is dead."  
  
"You think so?" Omi questioned but he didn't look convinced.  
  
"Hai."  
  
"When is Manx suppose to arrive?"  
  
Ken looked at his watch, "Um...in five minutes."  
  
Ken turned Aya, "AYA!"  
  
Aya turned an annoyed glare toward Ken. "..."  
  
Ken pointed to his watch indicating that Manx was going to come soon. Aya   
narrowed his eyes then glace at the flower shop clock and stood up.  
  
"The Koneko no Sumu Ie is closing early today." Aya said icily.  
  
Ken saw the girls give disappointed looks and started to leave. The red head girl   
that Yohji was talking with stood up on her tiptoes and gave Yohji a peck on his cheek.   
Ken without knowing why looked back at Aya and saw him glare at the girl. Before Ken   
could think of a reason why Aya would glare at the girl a jingle ran through the now   
empty shop.   
  
Ken fixed his eyes upon the figure standing in front of the shop. Manx stood there   
with arms folded across her chest as looked at each of the assassins. Aya stood up and   
went to the close sign and turned it over on the store window. Yohji and Omi followed   
Manx into the back room with Ken behind them and Aya bringing up the back.  
  
They seated themselves in the darkened room as the fragrance of flowers floated   
from the store and into the murky room. The television gleamed as they readied   
themselves for the news from Manx.  
  
"Did Persia agree to the alliance?" Omi asked.  
  
"Nothing has been agreed upon as of yet." Manx flipped her red curls away from   
her eyes, "Persia wants to let Schwarz have their say then we will decide upon a   
decision."  
  
"Do you have any idea why Schwarz is doing this?"  
  
"No."  
  
Ken's eyebrows scrunched in thought. "Then why are we agreeing to this   
meeting?"  
  
"Because we..." Manx started.  
  
  
//...are curious little kittens in need of some discipline. And Schwarz would be happy to   
provide it.//  
  
  
The outwardly thought invaded their minds as they wiped their head to the entrance   
of the backroom. Brad Crawford, the leader of Schwarz slowly made his way down as his   
other teammates just stood at the top of the spiraling stairs. Schuldich smirked at them as   
he swiped his unruly orange hair out of his eyes only to have it tumble back into his cat-  
like green eyes.   
  
  
//Konnichiwa, kittens.//  
  
  
He slanted his head watching their reactions to his projected greeting then with   
another smirk leaned against the edge of the doorway as he glanced at each of the Weiss   
members. On the other side of the doorway stood Farfarello. Farfarello in his white tanks   
and pants held a straight thin knife close to his lips. His one golden eye looked at Weiss   
as he slowly slid his tongue along the sharp edge of the knife. A black eye patch covered   
the other eye as spiky white hair atoned his head. Nagi Naoe stood just to the left of the   
berserker in a bored almost lounging stance. His sleek brown hair fell over his eyes as he   
looked at Crawford as his leader made his way into the room. Crawford in his neat gray   
business suit stopped just a few steps away from Manx.   
  
"Mr. Crawford I presume." Manx held out her hand.  
  
"And you are..." Brad let the sentence run on as he gripped Manx's hand.  
  
"Manx. I am a representative of Weiss. I do not have much time on my hands   
therefore you must excuse my abruptness but we must get this off to a quick start. Now I   
would like for you to..."  
  
"Because you are the representative then I would like to speak to you alone, Ms.   
Manx."  
  
"What do you mean alone?" Ken cried as he stood up almost knocking over the   
chair that he was sitting in.  
  
"What are you getting at Crawford?" Aya replied, glaring at Crawford in a   
suspicious way.  
  
"It is hardly fair that..." Ken began.  
  
"I would prefer that Weiss is in attendance of this meeting." Manx interjected.  
  
"This meeting was arranged so that I may give my reasons for this alliance between   
Weiss and Schwarz. I need to give confidential information to prove my reasoning   
therefore I would prefer that until you are certain that you will join my proposed alliance   
that Weiss step outside. It would be unfair to let Schwarz stay while Weiss leaves   
therefore I will be the only speaker."   
  
Ken opened his mouth but Manx held up her hand before continuing, "Very well,   
Mr. Crawford."  
  
"You can't be serious!"   
  
"Manx this is not..."  
  
"Weiss, you are to stand out in the flower shop until otherwise advised. Do you   
understand?"  
  
Aya glared at Crawford behind red bangs. Aya's hands were buddle together as he   
shot his deadliest 'shinne' out at the Schwarz's leader. Yohji nodded his head toward   
Manx before grabbing a furious Aya and pulling him out of the room. Omi looked   
worried. He stared at Manx for a few second before acknowledging her command and   
waited for Ken. Ken stood the longest, staring at Manx as if she was doing a terrible   
thing. Manx looked right back not flinching even once. Ken sighed giving up. With one   
last fruitless glace he and Omi made their way out the backroom to where the other   
members of Weiss and Schwarz were.  
  
"Why do you think that Crawford wanted to talk to Manx? If we are actually going   
to have an alliance then wouldn't it be better if everyone is there?" Omi asked as they   
stepped past the hall.  
  
"How should I know? All I know is that Crawford is a bastard with a stick up his   
ass. Personally I don't think that we should form an alliance with them. They're all way   
too..."  
  
  
//...sexy, Kenken.//  
  
  
"NO!!" Ken shouted. "...weird, sadistic, and definitely insane."  
  
  
//Why thank you Kenken. That was such a sweet comment.//   
  
  
"It wasn't meant to be a sweet you psycho! And stop calling me Kenken, dammit!"   
Ken said out load.  
  
"My! My! Such strong language in front of your little chibi. And here I thought that   
you were suppose to be role models for the young bishounen." Schuldich said out loud   
when he saw the last two remaining Weiss members enter the front store.  
  
Farfarello looked up at the last comment. He paused in self-inflicted injuries as   
blood oozed from the bloodied knife. "Cursing hurts God."  
  
With that he looked back down and started to slice through his arm. Omi held back   
a slight whimper as Ken pushed him pass the obviously insane Irish to the other side of   
the room where Aya and Yohji were. Ken glanced up at Nagi shortly who was standing   
nearby next to the plots of African flowers. After Ken proceeded to try and get the   
attention of his taciturn leader. Aya straighten some flower petals that had gotten ruffled   
in the afternoon. Violet eyes flashed as a few flowers were the victims of the quick angry   
gestures. Instead of strangling the German across the room since, Aya decided that it   
would probably anger Manx so he started to vent his anger in another more productive   
manner. Yohji leaned against the nearby wall with a cigarette in his fingers. Yohji just   
stared at the flowers that were being victimized but did not say a word. He then looked up   
at Ken and Omi then raised a gentle eyebrow in question.  
  
"Um...Aya?" Ken softly asked, looking at the abused flowers.  
  
"..."  
  
"Aya?"  
  
"...nani!?"  
  
Storming violet eyes glared at him and Ken gave an audible gulp. Ken then ducked   
his head looking anywhere but at the wearer's face. "You're...um...well...the flowers   
they...well they...damn."  
  
Sudden laugher erupted from across the room as Schuldich started to grasp his   
stomach. "Such eloquent language Kenken but next time I would suggest that you use   
complete sentences."   
  
Schuldich smirked as Ken turned red in embarrassment. This seemed to knock Aya   
out of his internal rage and turned his attention to the German who he was ignoring   
before.  
  
"What are you trying to do Schwarz? What kind of game are you playing?" Aya   
glared.  
  
"No games, little orchid."  
  
With that statement Aya went rigid and his eyes narrowed even more. He gripped   
the table, which the flowers were set on and started to move toward the telepath. At the   
side of his eyes Ken saw Nagi move slightly as if to intercept the redhead. Yohji it seems   
also saw the movement and grabbed onto the Aya's arm and leaned down to whisper into   
his ear. Ken could not hear the whisper but locked his eyes on Schuldich and Farferello.   
  
Again the telepath smirked, "You won't get an opportunity to attack us in the   
future. We'll destroy you first."  
  
Yohji eyed the German, "Stop going into our heads!"  
  
"Then where's the fun in that! Really you should get more creative Yo-chan. Those   
images you have of..."  
  
A swish and a breath of air whipped by as Yohji released his wire. Schuldich saw   
the movement and moved out of the way. Farfarello smiled as the action brought him   
back to his surroundings. He leaped onto his feet and crouched low to the group with the   
knife held in front of him. Schuldich leaped next to Farfarello then turned back to his   
rivals. Omi seeing the Irish move pulled out his own darts from his back pocket and   
pointed them at him while Ken moved in front of Omi and released his own weapon,   
aiming at Schuldich. Yohji seeing that his attack didn't work pulled back the wire and   
prepared for another blow. Aya who did not have his weapon with him stood in a fight   
stance next to Yohji. When Yohji flung another attack the wire stopped in front of   
Schuldich then fell to the ground with a clatter. Yohji blinked in surprised then cursed   
himself as he looked at the last Schwarz who was still on the other side of the room.   
  
Ken was about to throw his own attack when the back door of the flower shop   
slammed open. Crawford stepped out first and signaled to his team. Manx walked into the   
flower shop a second then surveyed the room. Manx narrowed her eyes as she saw Omi,   
Yohji, and Ken with their weapons out and Aya who still had not switched out of a   
fighting stance. Schuldich smirked as Crawford walked up to him and Nagi started to   
make his way to the rest of his team.  
  
Manx signaled for her team to be quiet. "We are forming a temporary alliance with   
Schwarz as of this second."   
  
A shocked silence grew between the teams as they looked at one another. Ken   
looked down at the youngest Weiss and worried cornflower blue eyes starred up at him.   
How do we get into these messes? Ken asked himself silently. Ken sighed and the only   
thought that ran through his mind was that this was going to be a disaster. 


	6. Burden of Guilt

Title: Essence of Innocence  
Chapter 6: Burden of Guilt  
Author: lilneko_chan  
email: lilneko_chan@hotmail.com  
Pairings: Crawford x Schuldich, Yohji x Aya, Ken x Omi, Farfarello x Nagi  
Warnings: Yaoi, OOC, angsy Schuldich  
  
Author's Note: I finally put some more Schwarz in this story. I know that I kind of made   
Schuldich look like a softie but just pretend that when he's in public its all smirks and bad ass   
attitude and when he's alone he's very sensitive (or whatever you want to call it). Anyway I luv  
when he's with the little black cat. It's too kawaii!! I was about to use a bird instead but I   
wanted him to have a pet. A cat's better (gomen to all bird fans) in this fic since he can pet it  
and stuff. In the later chapter I'm going to have the cat follow him around. Kawaii!! If the bird  
follows him around it doesn't have the same cuteness. Also lately I haven't really been using a lot of  
Japanese words in the fic. I've been kinda lazy about it but for the next chapter I'll make sure  
to use some or phrases and stuff. At least this chapter uses some (and it also has German :)  
unlike the past one..hehe..^_^   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Burden of Guilt  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The howling of the wind echoed across the empty streets. Trees shook as the wind   
hurled themselves upon it only to realize the fruitfulness. The sidewalk was wet as rain   
fell in large puddles of drops. A shimmer of moonlight pierced through the ever-moving   
clouds only to disappear as shadows engulfed them within their deadly grasp. The   
streetlights barely lit the streets as cars raced pass to their destinations. A couple raced   
across the street attempting to get out of the pouring shower as quickly as possible as a   
businessman jogged the opposite direction holding his business files in one hand and the   
other holding an umbrella. A wild squirrel squirmed its way up a tree and into the safety   
of its home and birds flocked silently into the night.   
  
Schuldich was well aware of the happenings of his surroundings. Lying in bed he   
stared absent-mindedly at the white ceiling devoid of any objects. The silky white sheet   
piled around him, only covering the German from the waist down. Sighing, Schuldich   
turned over to lie on his side and looked out his window into the pouring rain. The   
window faced away from the street and into the backyard where the trees and animals   
lived. The street, lights, and people disappeared as the trees and shadows took over the   
almost always-silent view. Folding a hand under his head and the other resting in front of   
him he started to drift into the minds of other human beings in boredom.   
  
Hm...this person is depressing over an affair...a dream about going to school in   
the nude...a dream of a knife friendly clown...hm, maybe I should show Farfarello   
that...worries about a math test...another affair...boring. Schuldich sighed as the endless   
flow of thoughts invaded the privacy of his mind. Not to mention sordid and boring   
thoughts, Schuldich thought annoyingly. The only person whose thoughts Schuldich   
could not invade was one by the name of Brad Crawford.   
  
"...and he's the one I want to listen to." Schuldich said to no one as he flipped onto   
his stomach, arms folded under his chin. Crawford, Schuldich mused, very arrogant,   
gorgeous, commanding, intelligent not to mention...has the largest stick up his ass.   
Schuldich sighed as he thought of the leader of Schwarz. Shifting around to lie once more   
on his back, the sheets twisted, half spilling onto the cold floor. Staring at the ceiling,   
Schuldich remembered the last attempt to seduce the seer. It wasn't a complete loss,   
Schuldich smirked. I did steal that kiss and didn't even get shot afterwards. Of course   
Nagi believes that I'm wasting my time and Farfarello...well he doesn't really care   
except about his 'must hurt God' vengeance.   
  
Maybe I am wasting my time, Schuldich struggled, I have been trying for years and   
I've known Crawford for what ...ten years!   
  
"This is giving me a headache." Schuldich said as he sat up. A dresser perched next   
to his queen size bed. The clock and lamp were on it along with the towel that Schuldich   
used last night to dry his long orange hair. A picture also sat on top of the dresser. A gift   
given to him by Nagi for his birthday. I was really surprised that he knew when my   
birthday was, Schuldich thought as he touched the picture. The frame held an image of   
sakura petals and in kanji the word "Life". I still don't know why he gave me such a   
gift...or even why I kept it. Staring at the pictures for a few more moments Schuldich   
sighed another time and sat lounging in the silence of the room. Looking at the window   
again he began to walk towards it wanting to watch the rainfall. Passing his dresser, he   
sat along the windowsill and looked out.  
  
Dark...no stars and no moonlight, Schuldich reflected, almost like that night...  
  
// ...mutter .//  
  
//No! Don't...please just leave!//  
  
//...Ahh!!//  
  
//...Mutter!//  
  
Schuldich closed his eyes as the sudden rush of images pierced his mind. The   
burning ashes of the fire and the voluble painful screams invaded his thoughts. Blood   
spilling across the marbled floor...drip...drip... Schuldich shook his head and the last   
images left him. Schuldich placed his burning forehead against the icy cold window.   
Taking deep breaths he slowly exhaled until the beating of his heart calmed... inhale...  
exhale... Closing his eyes for a moment Schuldich removed his head from the window   
and placed it on the wall behind him. Still looking at the rain he unlocked the hatch and   
pushed the window open.   
  
Cool air flowed across his almost naked body. A pair of green silk pants was the   
only article of clothing that he wore and a metal bracelet on his left arm. The cool air   
helped keep him in the present. Slight drops of rain occasionally splattered him but the   
German ignored the wetness and sat listening to the soothing sounds of the pouring rain.   
  
"...meow."  
  
Schuldich blinked at the soft sound and turned his head toward the window.   
Squinting out into the darkness, Schuldich tried to search for any movements. Nothing   
but the wind and trees as shadows paced themselves upon the night. Maybe it's just my   
imagination, Schuldich mused. When he was about to turned back something black   
landed on his lap. Schuldich jumped in surprised and looked at the offender. A little black   
kitten lay on his lap looking up with wide green eyes at the German. Schuldich stared   
blankly at the cat until a small laugh erupted from his lips.   
  
"So you wanted to get out of the rain, little katzchen?" Schuldich gently asked as   
he brought the wet kitten to his face. Two hands holding under its arms and feet dangling   
the cat stared into emerald green eyes. After seconds passed ears flickered back as the cat   
climbed out of the loose grip and licked at the telepath's cheek.  
  
"Meow."  
  
"So I guess that means that you like me?" Schuldich asked at the cat began to rub   
against his chin.  
  
"Meow."  
  
I'll take that as a yes, Schuldich thought and transferred the cat back onto his lap.   
Grabbing the discarded towel on the dresser he began to dry the little cat. The black   
kitten purred as Schuldich rubbed the towel along its back. Seeing the reaction Schuldich   
did it again only for the cat to purr once more. When the cat was dry he began to run his   
hand across the soft fur. Trying to make the black mush into some kind of order the cat   
started to lick its paw. The fur under Schuldich's hand was still a little wet and now was   
tangled because of Schuldich toweling. As Schuldich combed his fingers through the fur   
he was startled when he realized that the fur was very soft. Almost like a newborn   
kitten's fur, Schuldich acknowledged. Wanting to know more about his new guest   
Schuldich started to inspect the cat more closely.   
  
Well, it's a girl, Schuldich stated after checking the gender, and looking at its size   
probably no more then three months old. The cat paused in its cleaning and looked up at   
Schuldich. As Schuldich's fingers ran near the kitten's face, the kitten licked at it and   
went back to its grooming job.   
  
Funny, Schuldich mussed, that the Weiss kittens would hate us so while this little   
back cat seems to like being here.  
  
Rubbing against the cat's sensitive neck, Schuldich tapped at its tiny head to get   
her attention. The cat looked back, tail flickering across the silky cloth. "Do you want to   
stay here tonight, katzchen?"  
  
The cat seemed to understand what the German was saying and gave a calm   
"meow". Schuldich tilted his head to the side wondering if the cat actually understood   
what he was saying or was just meowing at every question. "Where's your mutter,   
katzchen?"  
  
The cat's ears lowered as it looked down upon its tiny paws. Schuldich blinked   
then started to pet the cat, attempting to make the cat happy again. I guess that she   
understands what I'm saying, Schuldich thought to himself, although it would be easier if   
I can talk to him telepathically.   
  
After countless minutes passed Schuldich looked down at his pet again and   
blinked. The cat had fallen asleep. Schuldich laughed and petted the little kitten again   
before picking her up carefully and laying her on the bed. Lifting the sheet, the telepath   
made a little resting place and looked at the cat.   
  
"I guess that you're staying..." Schuldich said slowly. "I can't keep on calling you   
kitten so I guess that I'll have to name you."  
  
Looking at the clock, Schuldich sighed at the time, "I'll figure out a name for you   
later. Crawford probably won't want you here but I never listened to his orders before so   
I'm going to keep you."   
  
With that resolved in his head, Schuldich gave one last pet only to hear a snoring   
purr. Schuldich glanced at the cat to see that it was still asleep and returned to his seat   
next to the window. As restlessness began to eat at the German and he glanced again at   
the clock. Two o'clock...hm...maybe I'll go and see what our awe-inspiring leader is   
doing. With that thought in mind, Schuldich placed a pale hand against the windowsill   
and pushed himself into a standing position. Feeling sore, Schuldich stretched his   
limbered body, fingers and toes extending as his arms reached for the ceiling. Then he   
abruptly stopped and padded his way to the door almost like a wily cat about to pounce   
on its prey.   
  
The hallway was devoid of any living things except for their devious shadows.   
Schuldich treaded his way toward the end of the hall where the American's bedroom lied.   
Moonlight seeped through the glass windows in the living room misting their way into   
the dark halls creating an eerie depiction. Schuldich slightly glanced at the Berserker's   
door and continued on.  
  
  
//...the aroma of blood. Killing hurts God! Blood hurts God!//  
  
  
Schuldich dismissed the psychotic thought and edged his way toward Nagi's room.   
The door was slightly agar as light peeked out from the opening. Light tapping noises   
was heard from the room as Schuldich walked pass it. The hallway seemed to stretch   
until an eternity while in reality it could not have been more than twenty feet. Finally   
reaching his destination, Schuldich stopped as a chill passed through him. Suddenly   
feeling self-conscience, he paused with his hand on the doorknob. Shacking his head with   
a fruitful shake he opened the door and looked inside.  
  
  
//Bradley...//  
  
  
The leader of Schwarz sat hunched over his desk. Papers littered the once orderly   
furniture as the lamp cast a shadow over the Oracle's face. A coffee cup sat discarded at   
the edge of the table, as the computer remained humming beside it. Thin light glasses   
were perched on Crawford face as he looked down into the blueprints of tomorrow's   
mission. As Schuldich called out his telepathic greeting he was met with no response.   
Schuldich scrunched his nose as his eyes gleamed a determined look in them. Putting on   
his smirk that he used for the world, he sauntered into the room. He will get a response   
from Crawford even if it killed him. And it won't come to that. Schuldich smirked   
mentally as he removed the lonely cup and perched himself at the edge of the table.  
  
  
//What are you looking at, Bradley?//  
  
  
"Blueprints of the warehouse." Was the cold response.  
  
  
//Work!? You know that the saying 'All work and no play makes Bradley a dull boy.'//  
  
  
"Don't call me Bradley."  
  
  
//Why not? It's your name, mein mutiger Anführer (1) //  
  
  
"It's Crawford and why are you here? Don't you have someone else to annoy?"   
Crawford said as he picked up his pencil and drew a diagonal line on the blueprints. He   
then settled the pencil down and continued to ignore his teammate as he glanced over the   
plans.   
  
Schuldich frowned at the answer that he got and decided to use different tactics. He   
trapped a piece of paper within his grasp and looked at it. The paper was the outline that   
Crawford had sketched out for the mission that night. Schuldich smirked as an idea came   
to his head.  
  
Straightening his expression into a solemn face, Schuldich turned to his leader.   
"You outlined the position that each Schwarz member is going take at a pacific time but   
what about Weiss? We are carrying out this target with them."  
  
Barely looking up at his teammate Crawford replied, "When we meet with Weiss   
later today I will integrate our plans with theirs so that both teams will have their pacific   
assignments."   
  
Schuldich jumped to the floor in a graceful leap. Landing silently he wiped   
imaginary dust off his pants before moving to the side of the chair that Crawford was   
sitting on. Settling a hand on the blueprints, Schuldich looking with Crawford at the plans   
said, "Couldn't you use your powers and make a plan for both teams..."  
  
  
//...and wouldn't that save more time?//  
  
  
Crawford made another line and scribbled something onto the blueprints. "That   
wouldn't save more time as I would have to research for two groups instead of one. We   
do not have the time." Crawford said steadily.  
  
Smiling inwardly, Schuldich slowly shifted positions until his hand changed from   
leaning on the desk to touching the chair. With his chest pressed to the top of the chair   
Schuldich leaned over as if to look into the plans once more.   
  
  
//Ah, of coarse. Time is always of an essence.//  
  
  
Leaning over Schuldich gently touching the side of his leader's neck while   
bringing his lips to the lip of an ear. "Isn't that right, Bradley?" Schuldich breathed.   
  
Crawford kept on working as if nothing had happened. Schuldich smirked and   
silently thought to the raven-haired American in front of him, hm...a challenge eh...too   
bad that you didn't know but when given a dare, Schuldich never losses.  
  
Brushing his hand against the neckline of the suit Schuldich leaned over a little bit   
more and "unconsciously" brushed against Crawford's soft cheek. Schuldich brought the   
hand on the table to lie carelessly on the American's shoulder as the other swung around   
and held the end of the chair. Schuldich tapped a finger against the collar of the coat as if   
in thought. A smirk colored his face as emerald green eyes glittered.   
  
"The oracle..." His wild orange hair caressed the stern cheek as soft rosy lips   
stroked across neckline, "One who sees and predicts the future, unseen by anyone but the   
beholder. To him, time is nothing but what he creates."  
  
As Crawford sat there stonily Schuldich continued, "Time is the essence in which   
he controls. A priceless glass rose kept in a display box in the dark lonely room, which no   
one sees but him."  
  
"Is there a reason for this sudden physiological incentive or are you just here to   
annoy me?" Crawford questioned as he shifted his face away from Schuldich caressing   
lips.   
  
Smirking Schuldich brought his lips back to the flesh right under the Oracle's ear,   
"Not to annoy Crawford. Nein, not to annoy but to understand." Lips found the pale skin   
caressing as they reached the tip of the ear.  
  
A sigh, "What is there to understand? From what I gathered you are trying to annoy   
me. And I would have to ask you to stop. I am trying to conduct business here."   
  
"You are always doing paperwork Bradley." Before Crawford could protest the use   
of his first name Schuldich continued, "You seal yourself into a world of business and   
money never seeking the ecstasy of human contact." A caress. "Like the hidden rose you   
hide your human emotions behind the power of time." Long figures began to loosen the   
neat tie. "Time is nothing by itself. It needs life and death so that it can have meaning.   
And with life..." Lips kissed along the strong jaw line. "...is happiness. Happiness   
sprung from the innocence of living."  
  
Schuldich stopped his nuzzling and glanced from the side of his eye to see   
Crawford's reaction. Crawford sat there in the large leather business chair lightly holding   
a pencil in the right hand. Feeling the heat of the glance upon him he turned and faced his   
orange haired teammate. "Happiness, Schuldich? This is rather ironical that you preach of   
innocence when you carry the name of guilt, Schuldich." Crawford jerked his head out   
from Schuldich's reach and looked back down at the plans. "Go back to sleep, Schuldich.   
We meet Weiss at the Koneko no Sumu Ie at eight."  
  
Schuldich was not about to be deterred from his goal. "I'm not preaching about   
happiness. I, for one do not believe in fairy tales." Schuldich brought his lips back to the   
outer layer of Crawford ear and whispered, "However, I do believe in death. Death brings   
an ending of all emotions and all things innocent. Death is feared for it is inevitable and   
that fear is what drives us, Schwarz. We are the Shinigami (2) of this world, Crawford.   
Happiness and innocence is not for destroyers...that is why I am guilty." Schuldich   
smirked and kissed the skin in front of him. "Chaos rings in our hearts. Because we are   
yet dead we still have emotions. Emotions such as anger, desperation, loneness, and..."   
Schuldich paused. "...desire."  
  
With that last word Schuldich lapped at the sensitive earlobe and rose before   
Crawford could say anything. "I think that I will take that suggested nap."  
  
Before Crawford could turn and look at him, Schuldich with inhuman speed   
reached the doorway. He turned and cast a last look at his companion, "Oyasuminasai   
(3), Bradley."   
  
Closing the door Schuldich began to walk through the shadow-haunted hall to his   
own domain. Light illuminated from the slightly opened door as the soft echoes of   
footsteps soared across the hall. Wind and rain clashed outside the rich expensive   
apartment as the moon shined proudly in the blackened sky. Schuldich reached for the   
handle of his door and turned the knob. As he stepped inside the darkened room filled   
with a soft snore from the black cat, he smirked an amused smile and closed the door.  
  
  
//Tomorrow is going to be fun.//  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(1) mein mutiger Anführer- my courageous leader (German)  
(2) Shinigami- God of Death  
(3) Oyasuminasai-goodnight 


	7. Illusion of Grey

Title: Essence of Innocence  
Chapter 7: Illusion of Grey  
Author: lilnekochan  
email: lilneko_chan@hotmail.com  
Pairings: Crawford x Schuldich, Farfarello x Nagi, Ken x Omi, Yohji x Aya  
Warnings: Yaoi, OOC  
  
Author's Notes: Hey! Since its summer I've been able to work on this story more so I finished   
this chapter pretty fast. Sorry about the German in the last chapter. I don't know anything in  
German and I haven't taken any classes. Actually I'm taking French in school but I suck. Foreign  
language is my worest subject. I'm sorry to all Nagi and Farfarello fans since they don't really  
talk in this chapter but I promise that in chapter 8 and 9 that they'll be more involved. In  
chapter 9 I was planning on it being in Nagi POV. I decided that I'll have a Farfarello x Nagi   
so chapter 9 will show more of that. Also Schuldich's little black kitty cat will be back. Not   
in the next chapter (it'll be kinda weird having a black cat running around during the mission...  
then again I do have a panther doing that...hm...) but in the chapter after that. I'll try  
to find a nice cute name for it but I haven't choosen a name yet. I'm thinking of Miyu but not   
sure.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Illusion of Grey  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The orange clouds of dusk were slowly slipping behind the giant standing buildings   
as the sky opened into a great expansion of yellow and red. The usually busy Koneko no   
Sumu Ie was empty with the exception of the vivid flowers laying contentedly in the   
sunlight. The cash register had finished its job for the day as the sign on the door forbid   
anymore customers to enter the little room. The afternoon rays of the dusky sunset filled   
the store with a blissful sensation lost on the gathering individuals in the next room.   
  
The backroom was actually more of a luxurious basement. Spiral stairs lead the   
way into the dark room that contained two couches, a table, television, armchair and   
other necessary items. The light glowed dim as they reflected off the group that had   
gathered there. The individuals all sat around the table, which at the moment was littered   
with numerous papers, teacups, and writing utensils.   
  
Against the wall was Yohji who, after a glare from his leader decided that it would   
be beneficial to his health if he would smoke his cigarette away from his teammates and   
closer to the stairwell. He was dressed in his usual trench coat and midnight blue pants   
for the mission that lay ahead. Leaning casually against the wall he dusted away an   
imaginary dust. Ken vouched to lean his forearms on the back of the couch where his   
other two teammates sat. Looking over the mop of blond hair he glanced over Omi's   
shoulders and onto the missions plans that he held. Aya was also looking at the mission   
plans however at the moment his attention was not focused on the blueprints.   
  
"Iie."  
  
"Aya-kun..."  
  
"Iie."  
  
"Ken-kun and I can take care of ourselves."  
  
"..."  
  
"Do you want Schwarz to carry out the mission without supervision?"  
  
  
//We don't need a babysitter, chibi.//   
  
  
"Don't help! Please Aya-kun..."  
  
"..."  
  
"Aya-kun..."  
  
"..."  
  
"Please..."  
  
"...fine." Aya said reluctantly. Big blue eyes seemed to glitter at the said words and   
turned to say something to the brunet haired assassin of Weiss. Aya sighed knowing that   
that he lost the battle. Omi's large cornflower blue eyes were no competition even to the   
stoic leader.  
  
  
//So even the little katzchen can be ordered around. I wonder what else he would do.   
Maybe...//  
  
  
"Schuldich..." Crawford warned as he saw the redhead about to lose his temper.   
  
"Come now Crawford. You really should have some fun." Schuldich smirked as he   
seated himself on the edge of the armchair next to his leader. Crawford sighed as he   
recognized the look on his teammate's face.   
  
//Schuldich not now. This isn't the time.// Crawford telepathically sent back to the   
German. He knew that the telepath understood because of the telepathic bond that   
Schuldich had spun around the members of Schwarz. Crawford looked around the room   
after pinching two figures around his nose, knowing that he would soon develop a   
headache.   
  
A table littered with mission plans and maps sat in the middle of the darkened room   
separating the two groups. On one side sat Schwarz and on the other their counter rival,   
Weiss. Crawford sat calmly in the armchair while Schuldich perched on the edge of it.   
The German smiled secretly like he knew something that he rest of Weiss did not.   
Farfarello as usual was on the ground on the other side of Crawford ignoring his   
surroundings as he stared hungrily at Weiss, fiddling with his blue shirt since Crawford   
took away his knives that morning. Crawford had ordered Nagi to stand next to Farfarello   
in case the madman decided to do anything drastic.  
  
Weiss seems to be a little unnerved by our presence, Crawford observed taking in   
the scene of the other night hunters. The red headed leader was glaring at Crawford and   
Schuldich, knuckles every so often tightening on the handle of his katana. Ken was the   
most noticeable as he kept fidgeting in his spot. Less obvious was Yohji who from his   
spot next to the wall kept glancing at both Schwarz and Aya. Omi was the most calm,   
almost as if he did not notice the added numbers to the group. Like Aya, he sat on the   
couch as he inspected the blueprints and suggestions that Crawford had written down the   
night before.   
  
Seeing the powder blue eyes focus on one part of the blueprint Crawford guessing   
what sparked the interest spoke aloud, "That is the place where we would enter the   
building. It has more guards but because of Schuldich's powers we can enter without any   
notice or commotions."  
  
"We are splitting the groups so who would enter at that door?" Omi asked.  
  
"It is best that Farfarello is with Schuldich."  
  
Omi paused as he mussed on the pairing of both groups, "Then Farfarello will go   
with Schuldich. I think that Yohji-kun and Aya-kun should also stay together so I will go   
with Nagi and lastly you can go with Ken-kun."  
  
  
//Crawford can make up for the clumsiness of our dear Kenken.//  
  
  
//Schuldich...// Crawford warned again as he saw the soccer player turn red and   
jump away from his place in back of the couch until Omi grabbed his sleeve and tried to   
calm him down.  
  
//It's true though, Brad.// Schuldich sent back and leaned against Crawford's   
shoulders. Crawford mentally sighed as he saw Schuldich smirk back at the brown-  
headed assassin.   
  
//Schuldich, this alliance with Weiss will not last if you keep provoking them into   
attacking. Fujinami and Hidaka are not known for their patience. And my name is   
Crawford not Brad or Bradley.// Crawford thought to Schuldich.  
  
//Whatever you say...sweetheart.// Schuldich smirked as he felt the fuming   
thoughts of his leader projected at him. Crawford twitched then calmed his features back   
to their usual stoic look. I am stone, Crawford thought. Stones do not have feelings, nor   
emotions...they also aren't alive but I won't even think of that.  
  
"The groupings are fine with me." Said Crawford. Farfarello for the first time since   
the beginning of the meeting shifted in his spot on the floor and looked up at Nagi.   
Feeling the gaze on him, Nagi turned to the Irishman and after a few moments turned   
back to staring at the painting on the wall. When Nagi turned away Farfarello went back   
to playing with his shirt. Crawford lifted a slender eyebrow at Schuldich in question.   
  
//What was that?// Crawford asked as Schuldich concentrated hard on Farfarello.   
After a few seconds he looked up at Crawford then at Weiss and began to form his usual   
smirk on his face. //Don't know. Something changed in his thought pattern but it was too   
fast for me to read what it was. Right now Farfie's thoughts are back to their usual 'must   
hurt God' cycle.//  
  
Farfarello's thought pattern changed? Crawford was confused but didn't let his   
mind wonder too much on the subject. I'll contemplate more on this when we are back   
home. Crawford hurriedly looked at his rivals across the room and was happy to note that   
they did not seem to notice the odd looks that were given to the Berserker during the last   
few seconds.   
  
"...the times?"  
  
Crawford cursed inwardly when he realized that he lost half of the conversation.   
  
//Ah, you didn't miss anything important, Bradley. The katzchen is just reviewing   
the target and plans.// Schuldich replied as Omi turned his blond head towards the brunet   
standing behind him.  
  
"Schuldich and Farfarello will enter first at the north entrance. Because of   
Schuldich's abilities we should be able to enter the building without any detection. Aya-  
kun and Yohji-kun will also enter at the northern entrance after Schuldich had taken care   
of the guards..."  
  
"Why are both Aya and I entering in the same entrance as Schuldich and   
Farfarello?"  
  
"The hallways will slit up into two pathways about 480 feet into the building. Both   
pathways are equally important." Omi answered.  
  
"Why are they important?" Yohji asked as he lifted the cigarette from his mouth. A   
cool gray steam floated into the air as Aya glared at the offending smog.   
  
Crawford decided that it was about the time to put his say into the mission, "The   
hallway to the right, which Schuldich and Farfarello will take leads to the laboratory. In   
order to get into the laboratory a code must be inputted into the computer system at the   
same time as the one in the computer room. The computer room is where the second   
pathway goes."  
  
"Ah."   
  
Ken turned from Crawford and looked back at the youngest Weiss, "What about   
me and Crawford?"  
  
"You and Crawford will take the east entrance. That has the least guards and is the   
one most unlikely that will be alerted to intruders." Omi said, "Me and Nagi will climb   
up the west wall and into the security room so that I can disable the system. You and   
Crawford will enter only after I have given you word that the system has been disabled."  
  
"The east entrance leads to the Demantor Room." Crawford began. "This is the   
room where all the files handwritten and computer print outs are stored. The entrance that   
Yohji and Aya enters is the one where the experimental information are stored in the   
computer..."   
  
"...which means that you will have to download it onto a disk." Omi finished.   
  
Yohji narrowed his eyes. "Wouldn't it be more efficient that either you or Nagi or   
maybe Crawford download the stuff instead. Aya and I aren't what you will call   
computer friendly."  
  
Omi shock his head as he replied, "I can't since I need to hack into the security   
system. Because Nagi has a long distance...ah...weapon then he's my backup. Crawford   
knows the exact information needed therefore he's in the file room so that leaves him out.   
Aya knows how to at least download and if not then he can contact me through our   
microphones."  
  
Yohji seemed to except the answer and went back to smoking his half gone   
cigarette. Ken on the other-hand had another question.  
  
"What are we looking for exactly? Manx didn't really give us any information   
besides biological weapons."  
  
"Well...ah..." Omi answered then he realized that he himself didn't know what   
they were looking for.  
  
  
//Tsk...tsk...It seems that you are lacking in communication skills with your employers,   
chibi. Then again that isn't very surprising what with your katzchen over there growling   
at us.//  
  
  
Crawford had the sudden urge to put his hands around his teammate's neck but   
resisted the urge. It would not be beneficial to anyone if I kill him, Crawford argued with   
himself. With that thought in mind Crawford decided to enlighten the angry assassins in   
front of him.   
  
"The laboratory that we are hacking into tonight is one that belongs to a   
corporation called the Michi no Kekka (1). Their main goal is to create mass destruction   
biological weapons. One such weapon you have already found information on..."  
  
  
//...or rather lost information on.//  
  
  
"...the Demon Ray. Tonight's mission is to gather more information on the Demon   
Ray and other such weapons. We need the to know what kinds of experiment were done,   
their destructive force and also what Michi no Kekka plans to do with them."  
  
Once Crawford finished his prep on the mission the room were silent for a few   
minutes.   
  
//Seems that the kittens are rather quiet tonight.// Schuldich sent his observations to   
Crawford. Crawford had to agree with the German. Aya was still glaring at both   
Schuldich and him while the playboy in the back stayed silent as he continued to smoke   
his second cigarette. Omi on the other-hand was contemplating on what Crawford had   
said and Ken was just standing silently taking his cue from Omi.  
  
//Schuldich, I need you just for tonight not to provoke Weiss into fighting.//   
Crawford sent.  
  
//I'll try to be on my best behavior tonight only if I get a reward when we get   
home.// Schuldich replied smartly.  
  
I'm starting to feel a headache rise, Crawford thought. Telepathically he said   
//Depends on the reward.//  
  
//Nothing to large Craw-chan.// Schuldich sent.  
  
//Your definition of small is very much different then mine. We'll see when we get   
home.// Crawford sent back.  
  
Crawford could feel Schuldich smirk through the link and heard the reply in his   
mind. //Then I'll collect my reward at home.//  
  
Crawford rubbed his eyes when he felt eyes glaring at him. Looking up he looked   
into violent purple eyes. "..."  
  
"Why are you here? What is your link to this corporation that will force you to call   
a truce with us?" Aya demanded for the first time since the discussion.  
  
  
//We don't do twenty questions, little orchid. Our reasons are for us alone to know.//  
  
  
Aya growled, "If you think that by having us help you that we will just let you get   
away with..."  
  
"We are not trying to get away with anything, Abyssinian." Crawford said. "We   
have our own personal reasons as I have said before, for this mission."  
  
Aya was about to reply when Omi interrupted him, "Its time for the mission."  
  
Aya fumed for a moment then with a 'shinne' glare at Crawford and Schuldich he   
stood up and walked toward the stairs. Omi also got up without a word and followed him.   
Ken taking his cue from Omi straightened up and after putting his jacket on followed the   
young blond. Once Aya reached the stairs Yohji threw his burning cigarette to the floor   
and followed after his leader with Omi not far behind.  
  
"Nagi, Farfarello it's time that we leave." Crawford stated then walked after the   
departing Weiss. A large space sat between the two groups. Schuldich slid off the armrest   
and stretched his slender body as Nagi and Farfarello stood up. After getting the kinks out   
of his body the German walked next to his leader as Nagi and Farfarello brought up the   
back.  
  
"So what do you foresee in the future, Bradley?" Schuldich asked as he took the   
first step up the stairs where the members of Weiss were waiting.  
  
Crawford seemed to think for a minute before replying, "Violence and blood...   
also something new...an unknown element..."  
  
"Well I'm not sure about the something new..." Schuldich laughed. "...but the   
blood and violence are within my abilities. Guess that this mission isn't going to be so   
hard."  
  
Iie, Crawford thought, this mission is not going to be easy or at least not with the   
Demon Ray involved.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(1) Michi no Kekka- unknown consequence 


	8. Crest of Will

Title: Essence of Innocence  
Chapter 8: Crest of Will  
Author: lilnekochan  
email: lilneko_chan@hotmail.com  
Pairings: Yohji x Aya, Crawford x Schuldich, Ken x Omi, Farfarello x Nagi  
Warnings: Yaoi, OOC, violence  
  
Author's Note: Jeez, this chapter is really long. I probably have a whole bunch of grammatical   
errors in this chapter. *sigh* I was writing this at four in the morning since I couldn't go to   
sleep. The ending is rather abrupt since I got really tired and I didn't want to write anymore.   
Schwarz is really out of character since I was trying to let them seem as if they cared for each  
other instead of being evil and insane. I'm going to write in the POV of Nagi in the next chapter   
for all the Farfarello/Nagi fans. I'm trying to develope their relationship (which at this point   
isnothing). I'll write more on Weiss later but for now I'm going to focus on Schwarz. *yawn* I'm   
just randomly writing in whomever's POV. I'm also trying to get Weiss to befriend Schwarz but   
that's not going to happen until much later since you still kinda hate each other. Hey, at least   
they didn't kill each other yet. *yawn* Well I'm going to go to sleep so I hope you like the   
story ;p  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Crest of Will  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The sky was turning a murky color of blue while the birds flocked back to their   
nests to end a tiring day. The sun was setting as clouds littered the darkening sky.   
Shadows were spread across the streets as the blue sky slowly turned to black. Ahead of   
the abandon warehouses stood a large building. Barbed wires circled the block to keep   
unwanted visitors out. Inside the safety of the wires stood three separate buildings, each   
concealing a secret within its mist. The air was still as the hidden individuals stood   
invisible in the shadows that overlooked the science department.  
  
"...third building is our target."  
  
Blah, blah, blah. Schuldich thought as he stared blindingly at Weiss's youngest   
assassin. If they go over the mission once more I'll scream!   
  
Schuldich shifted positions until he was leaning causally against the side of a   
building. To anyone who looked at him it may seem as if he was relaxed but inside   
Schuldich was anything but that. First Schuldich was bored. The mission was just   
scouting and gathering information. He could not kill since Crawford had forbidden any   
of Schwarz to kill tonight so the adrenaline and fun was already lacking. Second he did   
not know what the mission was truly about. The reasons why Crawford called a truce   
with Weiss on this particular mission was not told to his teammates. This above all else   
annoyed Schuldich. He was not a person who liked hidden secrets kept from him. He also   
liked that less since it was Crawford who was hiding the secret and Crawford was already   
a mystery to the telepath. Third was that he was cramped. Sitting in a car for five hours   
had not helped the German's disposition so Schuldich wanted to just go out and do   
something even if it's the mission that laid ahead instead of standing behind a building   
listening to the Weiss boy prattle on about the mission that they have gone over before   
leaving the flower shop and car.  
  
Augh! If only the brat should shut up, Schuldich mentally screamed. I want to go! I   
want to kill! And I goddamn want to know why Crawford is so interested in this idiotic   
mission!   
  
He was so deep in his thoughts that Schuldich missed the question aimed at him.   
"...huh?"   
  
Crawford narrowed his eyes as he repeated the question, "Have you memorize the   
layout of the building and mission plans?"  
  
Schuldich rolled his eyes, "Yes, I memorized it when you were going over it at our   
house...and at the flower shop...and on the car ride over here."  
  
Crawford stared evenly at the German but since Schuldich spent the ten seven   
years studying the stoic leader he knew that inside all Crawford wanted to do was to hit   
him over the head. Schuldich couldn't stop the smirk from forming on his lips.  
  
//See something you like?// Schuldich sent to Crawford. Crawford narrowed his   
eyes then turned to the taciturn red head. Schuldich felt like laughing but resisted the   
urge. It wouldn't do for the kittens to think that I've gone mad. Schuldich smirked then   
paused when another thought invaded his head. Then again they already think that I'm   
crazy.  
  
Schuldich blinked then ruefully shook his head and looked at Omi who was still   
speaking.  
  
"...then Nagi and I will enter to disable the security system. Does everyone   
understand?"  
  
Chorus of 'hai' went around while Schuldich just nodded his head at the blond.   
Crawford looked at Schuldich. "Schuldich, Farfarello its time that you enter the north   
entrance. The guard shift is changing."  
  
"Sure thing, boss." Schuldich saluted as Crawford sighed. Grinning a little he   
turned to Farfarello.  
  
//Come little sinner, we are going to hurt God tonight.// Schuldich sent to   
Farfarello. He saw that the Irish's golden eye look at him almost innocently.  
  
//Will he cry?// The Irish asked.   
  
//He will scream.// Schuldich sent back and felt a wave of ecstatic happiness come   
from Farfarello. Schuldich shook his head at the delight from his teammate. Sometimes   
his teammates did amuse him.   
  
Schuldich started to walk toward the entrance but stopped when he felt that   
Farfarello did not follow him. Confused, Schuldich turned around and looked at his   
teammate. Farfarello did not move but instead seemed hesitant to move. Schuldich's   
eyebrows knotted together. //Farfarello?//  
  
The Berserker stood in the darkness, face turned toward the floor. Schuldich   
hurriedly glanced at Weiss and was happy to note that they were in their own   
conversations and didn't seem to notice the lapse in behavior. While Weiss did not notice   
anything amiss, Crawford and Nagi had. Crawford was standing in front of the   
murmuring Weiss covering their view of Farfarello and Schuldich. Nagi was standing   
silently next to him also looking at the Irishman.  
  
//What's wrong?// Crawford sent.  
  
//I don't know. He's not responding.// Schuldich answered.  
  
//Then find out before Weiss notices anything wrong.// Crawford thought and took   
a look at the whispering assassins.  
  
Schuldich nodded and turned his attention at Farfarello. Slowly closing his mind to   
the foreign thought, Schuldich began to focus only on Farfarello. One by one people's   
auras disappeared as Schuldich focused every mental thought on Farfarello. Finally   
Schuldich reached the Irish's distinct aura, blood and strawberries. Every person had a   
different aura. Some like the antisocial redhead felt like fire trapped within a thin layer of   
ice while the once pro soccer player felt like sweet vanilla. Schuldich liked to think that   
he was roses and water but cannot be certain since he can't feel his own aura.   
  
I still haven't figured out why Farfarello feels like strawberries, Schuldich mussed.   
Dismissing the thought until a later time he searched through the Berserker's thoughts.   
Now that Schuldich concentrated, below all the glee and excitement...was worry.   
Schuldich became confused.   
  
Why is he confused? A moment ago he was happy that we were going to hurt God.   
//Is something wrong?//   
  
Farfarello didn't answer right away but did look up from the dusty floor. //...bad   
mission.//  
  
Schuldich blinked then became very worried. Farfarello usually didn't care what   
kind of missions that they have as long as they were doing some kind of fighting in it.   
//What's wrong with the mission? You can hurt God.// Schuldich thought to Farfarello.  
  
//I don't think that we're be hurting God tonight.// Was the curt answer.  
  
Now Schuldich was really worried. //Why do you say that?//  
  
//There's something here. Something in the air...// Farfarello answered.  
  
Schuldich was about to reply when Aya interrupted him, "You're supposed to   
sneak into the entrance now while the guards are switching."  
  
Schuldich looked up at Aya then back at Farfarello, "We're going now."  
  
Aya was about to reply when Yohji nudged him. Looking back at the playboy, he   
turned towards the telepath and nodded instead.  
  
Schuldich was about to reach for Farfarello and drag him to his feet when Nagi   
beat him to it. Nagi gripped his small hands around the Irishman's upper arm and gave   
him a slight push. Probably pushing with his mind as well, Schuldich thought. Farfarello   
snapped out of his trance and blinked owlishly at Nagi. When Schuldich felt Farfarello's   
mind clear and the German started walking towards the entrance. This time Farfarello   
followed him.  
  
//What was wrong?// Crawford sent. Even though they had lost sight of Crawford,   
Nagi and the rest of Weiss Schuldich could still send messages to them.  
  
//Farfarello thinks something's wrong with the mission.// Schuldich sent back.  
  
Crawford's response was. //...What's wrong?//  
  
//He doesn't know. He's worried.// Schuldich thought and he and Farfarello passed   
by a water pipe.  
  
//He's never worried either on the mission of elsewhere.// Was the observation.  
  
//I know...// As an afterthought Schuldich added. //Why did you want to do this   
mission so badly, Crawford?//  
  
Schuldich felt Crawford pause. //...there are personal reasons for this.//  
  
//Which are?// Schuldich asked.  
  
//...Schuldich heed Farfarello's feelings. This mission is more dangerous than it   
seems.// Crawford answered.  
  
//You didn't answer my question.// Schuldich and Farfarello were close to the   
entrance now. He could see the guards and it seemed like they had already switched.  
  
//...at home. This is not the time. Have you reached the entrance yet.// Crawford   
thought.  
  
//Hai. Tell the two kittens that they can come now.// Schuldich answered. Schuldich   
wanted to argue but like Crawford had said, this was not the time. Turning around   
Schuldich peered at Farfarello, "Ready?"  
  
Farfarello nodded. To Schuldich, he seemed like his old self, but the German was   
still concerned. Contrary to belief, Schuldich did care a lot for his teammates even though   
he doesn't act like it.  
  
Schuldich sent out a wave of power at the guards. It was a wave of telepath   
electricity almost like a physical thing. It knocked the two guards off their feet and into   
the wall with a smack. The guards feel unconsciously to the floor. Satisfied that the   
guards were out Schuldich beckoned to Farfarello. //Nagi, have the Balinese and   
Abyssinian cats left yet?//  
  
//Hai, they left rather quickly. I think that they will reach you in a few seconds.//   
Nagi replied. Amusement flowed through Schuldich's mind.  
  
//Then its time for you and the other chibi to go.// Schuldich sent.  
  
//Hai...Is Farfarello all right?// Nagi asked hesitantly.  
  
//He's fine. Farfarello believes that there something wrong with this mission.//   
Schuldich told Nagi as he and Farfarello raced down the hall to where the controls were.  
  
//I would have to agree with him. This place has an eerie feeling. I feel as if   
someone is watching me.// Nagi admitted.  
  
//Crawford said that this mission is more dangerous then it seems. Watch out for   
the little usagi (1) and yourself.// Schuldich thought to Nagi.  
  
Nagi laughed mentally. //Usagi?//   
  
//He reminds me like a little white rabbit. Either way just don't get in trouble. I'm   
not bandaging any wounds tonight.// Schuldich sent back.  
  
//Hai! Hai!// Nagi answered before the link between them was cut off.  
  
Schuldich and Farfarello stopped when they saw a large metal door blocking them   
from going into the laboratory. There was a six-digit password to get into the room. The   
digits on this door have to be inputted at the same time as the one in the computer room   
where Aya and Yohji should be.   
  
//Little orchid, have you reached the computer room yet?// Schuldich mentally   
asked Aya.  
  
//We just reached it.// Aya responded.  
  
It seems that the little katzchen is more talkative after he slaughtered a few guards,   
Schuldich thought. And they say that I'm blood crazy. //Then we'll enter the code on 1.   
Ready?//  
  
//Hai.// Aya answered.  
  
//Alright...3...2...1...// Schuldich pressed the six digit password in the computer   
and hoped that it worked. Beep...Beep...Beep...password confirmed. Schuldich sighed   
in relief and turned to Farfarello who stood silently beside him playing with a knife. "We   
have to wait for the other two kittens to come and for the chibi to disconnect the security   
system. It wouldn't do if we went in there and got shot by the machine guns."  
  
Farfarello didn't even glance up. Schuldich took the chance to search his mind   
again. //We will hurt God tonight. God will scream.//  
  
At least he's back to normal, Schuldich thought. Is that a good thing?  
  
Before Schuldich had time to ponder on that question, Aya and Yohji raced down   
the hall to where the two Schwarz stood. Schuldich decided that now would be a good   
time to see how the two youngsters were doing. //Nagi, has the usagi disconnected the   
security system yet?//  
  
//Iie, not yet. He's decoding the system now. He should be done in a few seconds.//   
Nagi replied.  
  
//Did you have any trouble with the guards?// Schuldich inquired and a moment   
later received Nagi's answer. //Iie. There were only two...matte...Omi-kun disconnected   
the security. You should be able to get in now.//   
  
//Arigatou bishounen. You and the usagi should go help Crawford now.// Schuldich   
sent as turned to the crowd around him. "The security system is down."  
  
Aya walked pass the orange haired man and proceeded to turn the metal handle.   
The security door open with a swish and they filed into the laboratory. The room was   
quiet large holding a chemical testing area to the right while air chambers were on the   
other side of the room. There was no sight of any kind of weapons or any testing   
specimens or tools. However in front of them was a large super computer. Seeing that   
Schuldich strolled over and looked over the keys while Farfarello wandered over to the   
air chambers curiously. Yohji and Aya followed the telepath.   
  
Schuldich clicked on a button and the computer blared into life. Sitting himself into   
the chair in front of the super computer Schuldich started to click more keys. Hm...this   
chair is pretty comfortable. I wonder when they would stop staring at me, Schuldich   
thought. The two Weiss were indeed staring at him. The leader was looking at him   
questioning while the playboy was in confusion. Aya stood glaring at the monitor and   
looking at the progress being done. Yohji was standing on the other side of the chair   
looking at the keys in obvious confusion and Farfarello was still in the air chambers.   
  
I wonder what's so interesting in the air chambers? Schuldich pondered then the   
monitor started to beep. Ah, success! Schuldich rambled through his side pocket as the   
monitor changed image.  
  
"What are you looking for?" Yohji asked and Aya looked at Schuldich intently.  
  
Finally finding what he was looking for, Schuldich pulled a black floppy disk out   
from his pocket. "This is what I was looking for." Schuldich stated simply while inserting   
the floppy disk into the slot.  
  
"Where did you learn all of this?" Aya demanded when he saw that the program   
had started to copy information onto the disk.  
  
"Esstet...Crawford...Nagi...I live with them long enough to pick up a thing or   
two."   
  
"A thing or two..." Yohji laughed. "This is not just a trick that you can pick up   
easily."  
  
Schuldich shrugged in response and turned around towards the air chambers. I   
want to know what is so interesting about the air chambers! "Farf, what's so interesting   
about..."  
  
Before Schuldich could finish the question a black blur appeared in front of him.   
Huh? Schuldich thought. Aya and Yohji had also noticed the motion and shifted into their   
fighting stances. Aya held the base of his katana near waist level with the blade running   
across his chest. Yohji was next to him holding the wire in a tight grip. Schuldich looked   
around for the black blur while putting his hand protectively across the disk slot.   
  
"It's the same panther!" Yohji whispered.   
  
Panther? Schuldich turned his face in the direction that the blond was facing.   
Seems that the katzchen is right.  
  
A sleek black panther crouched in the middle of the laboratory. Ivory fangs were   
blared as the panther growled at them. Yohji and Aya were ready to fend off the wild   
animal. Schuldich looked at the creature fascinated. Schuldich could tell from the   
thoughts of the two Weiss that they were not in high opinion of the panther. Probably due   
to the fact that their last mission was sabotage by one but in the German's opinion, the   
panther was rather beautiful. The fur looked soft and shimmered blue or green when the   
lights hit it at the right angle. The creature was quiet large, 116 pounds of raw muscle.   
The eyes were unusually as well. They were a strikingly gold color. Not yellow with a   
blending of other colors but pure gold.   
  
I don't think that panthers are suppose to have gold eyes, Schuldich thought. The   
panther hasn't yet made a move. Farfarello was in the corner, seemingly lost his interest   
in the chambers for the panther that stood a few feet in front of him. Schuldich was still   
staring at the large beast when the computer made a noise that made Schuldich look at it.   
  
The copy was done. Schuldich pressed the button and the disk slide out of the slot   
soundlessly but as Schuldich was about to reach for the disk the panther gave a large leap   
while roaring at the same time. The shock of the leap and roar caught Schuldich off guard   
and he dropped the disk. Aya launch forward about to give his own attack when the   
panther dogged left and slammed itself into Schuldich.   
  
Schuldich's tall wiry frame just couldn't compete with 116 pounds of muscle and   
he fell on the floor with a large crash. Before anyone could react the panther gently   
scoped up the disk into his jaws and pushed itself off the German and dashed towards the   
exit. Schuldich lied on the floor in perplexity as he tried to gather his thoughts. His ribs   
ached where it had hit the floor and his vision was blurred. Black dots covered his vision   
but began to clear bit by bit. Schuldich sat up shakily and looked around. Farfarello was   
crouching near him and the two Weiss teammates were gone.  
  
"Where are the two kittens?" Schuldich asked as he struggled to stand up.   
  
Farfarello stood and looked toward the door, "They wanted to hurt God."  
  
"Huh?"   
  
"They went to hurt God's creature."  
  
"The panther?"   
  
"Hai. I don't know if God will cry tonight because of the cat or the kittens."   
Farfarello said and started to walk towards the door with pausing for the German.   
Schuldich wrapped an arm around his ribs and ran to catch up with his teammate. Damn,   
Schuldich cursed. I think that my ribs are bruised.   
  
They ran down the hall with no interruptions. A few guards laid dead in a bloody   
heap on the floor. Their limbs were torn from their body as their chest and neck were   
tattered violently. The panther must have killed these guards since neither Weiss nor   
Farfarello and I had killed them, Schuldich observed.   
  
Farfarello was surging with adrenaline at both the rush of the chase and at the sight   
of the bloody corpses. "God is crying." Farfarello chanted as they picked up speed and   
exited the northern entrance. It did not take long for them to find the other Weiss and   
surprisingly to Schuldich also the rest of the teams.  
  
//Why are you here? I thought that you were gathering data.// Schuldich sent to   
Crawford as he reached the top of the building. Farfarello was behind him climbing up   
the ladder.  
  
//The thief stole the files that we found. The ones that we had were the important   
ones.// Crawford told Schuldich as he took a shot at the panther standing only a few feet   
in front of him. The shot was wide as the panther dogged it and landed next to a person   
wrapped in a black cloak. The hood was pulled over the head so that they could not see   
the face of the person in the cloak. The person was atoned in all black starting with black   
pants and boots and black gloves. A black tank top finished the style, which left the pale   
arm bare. In its right hand held a slender shimmering long sword.  
  
//The thief stole all the files?// Schuldich asked as Aya tried to slice the person only   
to hit shadow as the thief flipped over them and landed on the ledge of the building.   
  
Crawford answered. //Not all. We have a few left but the majority of them are   
gone.//   
  
Farfarello had made his way to the top of the roof the stood next to Schuldich and   
Crawford. Weiss stood on the other side as Nagi and Omi brought up the end. Omi threw   
his darts at the thief and Yohji flung his wire at the panther. The panther once again   
jumped away and landed by its master. The disk was gone from its jaws.   
  
The thief didn't move and instead caught all five darts single handedly. Omi   
gasped as Ken shifted nervously. Crawford stared at the figure sizing him up. Nagi made   
his way towards Crawford. Nagi eyes narrowed as he concentrated at the thief. Schuldich   
saw his pupils dilate like a cat, and power blasted from him heading for the thief.  
  
The thief fended off Ken's attack with the long sword in his hand and kicked the   
brunet in the stomach making him fall onto Omi who was behind him. The thief did not   
have the time after fending off Ken to jump out of the telekinesis's attack. The blast hit   
the thief dead center.  
  
"Good job, bishounen." Schuldich smirked as dust piled around the area of the hit.  
  
"I wouldn't congratulate just yet." Crawford said as he readied his gun and pointed   
it in the area of the dust.  
  
"What do you mean? The man's gone." Schuldich laid a steadying hand on Nagi as   
the boy swayed from side to side. "How many times did you use your power today?"  
  
"Enough."  
  
Schuldich snorted but jumped to the side as Farfarello pushed past him and ran into   
the dust, giving off a large war cry. CLANG! Schuldich turned in surprise as the sound of   
metal upon metal echoed across the rooftop. Farfarello had his knife in front of him and   
was pushing down onto a figure on the ground. The figure gave the Irish's knees a swift   
kick that had him down and slashed at his face with a sword after.   
  
"Is that..." Schuldich didn't finished the sentence. It couldn't have been the thief?   
Not after a blast like that, Schuldich thought.  
  
"That's the thief." Crawford stated as he shot at the figure still standing on the roof   
edge. The figure jumped out of the way and landed in front of them giving a full view of   
the face.   
  
The thief had survived the psychic blast but her clothes did not leave unharmed.   
The cloak was torn in varies places and the hood had fallen off the girl's head revealing   
long black hair with streaks of red and a pair of color changing eyes. The girl's cheek was   
bleeding from Farfarello's cut and she held the sword in front of her of one who had   
experience of such weapons.   
  
Aya stepped forward clutching his katana warningly. "Who are you?"  
  
"That is hardly of your concern." Was the icy response.  
  
"It is our concern since it is you, who stole our data."  
  
"...go back to Kritiker." The girl turned around and walked toward the roof edge.   
"Tell them to dismiss the mission. They won't get the information."  
  
Aya glared at the retreating back. "I won't tell them to dismiss this mission."  
  
"Then tell them that the next assassins they send, I will kill them." The girl reached   
the edge of the building the turned around to look at them  
  
"Naruhodo (2)..." Yohji said as he stood next to his leader. "Then I guess that   
you'll have to kill us then."  
  
The girl stared at him without emotions then turned to Omi who had gasped. His   
sky blue eyes were wide as they gazed at the girl. "You're the girl...from the another day   
who bought the African flowers!" Omi gasped.  
  
The girl's sharp features looked at the young blond. Omi opened his mouth to   
speak but Aya stepped forward. The panther growled as he stepped closer to his master.   
The girl faced Aya as he walked slowly to her. Aya then stopped only three feet away   
from the girl and glared at her.  
  
"Give us the data?" He demanded as his grip on the katana tightened.  
  
Ken added. "You don't have anywhere to go."   
  
The thief ignored the threat and looked closely at the group surrounding her. As her   
gaze looked past Schwarz it paused on Crawford. Aya, Ken and Yohji did not notice but   
Schuldich did. When Ken was about to take a step close the girl turned around and both   
her and the panther jumped. Ken gasped as he and the other assassins ran forward but   
there was no sight of the girl or her panther.  
  
Omi was the first to lift his gaze away from the view and tried to get the attention   
of his fellow teammates. "She's gone. It would be useless to try and find her now."  
  
"But she just jumped off the roof! You don't do that unless you're Batman or   
something!" Ken all but shouted.  
  
Using calming gestures, Omi tried to get his teammate to relax. Yohji took a   
cigarette out from his coat pocket and lit the end of it as Farfarello was chanting about   
hurting God while Nagi stared him the blood that seeped from a wound on his arm that   
no one had noticed before. Schuldich glanced over at Crawford and saw that he was still   
looking over the roof with a dazed look.  
  
//You know her.// Schuldich stated rather then questioned. Crawford did not give a   
response to Schuldich and looked up at Omi who had asked him a question.  
  
"How did she survive Nagi's attack? Every time we battled we always got hurt in   
some fashion or another by Nagi's psychic blasts."  
  
"He is only a Level 1 psychic." Crawford answered.  
  
Omi looked from Nagi to Crawford. "To iimasu to (3)?"   
  
"It means that she is either a more powerful psychic or she has an ability to deflect   
telekinesis."  
  
"What's a Level 1 psychic?" Yohji asked as he lifted the cigarette form his mouth.  
  
"A Level 1 psychic is one who has the most basic psychic abilities. The higher the   
level then the more evolved that ability becomes." Crawford explained.  
  
"How would it evolve? I thought that if you had an ability like telekinesis then   
that's it. The only thing that you can do is learn more control." Ken said as he laid an arm   
on one of Omi shoulders.  
  
"Control is essential to any form of training of physic abilities." Crawford said   
calmly as the others listened. "However, once control has been established then that   
ability can be used in different ways. Telekinesis, for example can evolve into   
teleportation or astral-projection. It is the same ability except molded into different   
aspects."  
  
"What level would that be?" Omi inquired.  
  
"That would be a Level 4 physic. There are 10 physic levels however psychics   
rarely achieve over 7."  
  
"But can people go above 7?" Ken asked.  
  
"A handful of physics can." Crawford admitted. "But the majority are usually   
centered around Level 3."   
  
"Oh, but what about yo-" Omi covered Ken's mouth before he can ask any more   
questions. Glancing warily at Schwarz he said quietly, "We really should go back to our   
hideouts now. We still have some files left so we can do research on that."  
  
Crawford nodded his head at that. "Very well. Then we will take our leave here.   
You already have some files right?"  
  
Omi nodded. "I'll just call when if I find anything interesting in the files."  
  
Crawford nodded and gestured for Schwarz to follow him. The cars were parked   
three blocks away from the laboratory and they started toward it. In the background   
Schuldich heard Ken give a shout.  
  
"Why did you do that?"   
  
"You aren't suppose to ask what Level they are!" Omi answered. "Its impolite."  
  
"I was curious." Ken whined.  
  
"Curiosity killed the cat, Kenken." Yohji teased then started to walk toward Aya's   
Porsche.   
  
"Shut up!"  
  
"Hm...you're all idiots."   
  
"That's not nice to say Aya-kun." Omi said.  
  
"Hm..."  
  
"And we're back to the 'hm' " Yohji said as he got into the car.  
  
Schuldich started to tone them out and concentrated on getting back to the car. He   
had a reward to think about and explanations from his leader. That and also he wanted to   
get back home to the little black kitten laying on his bed. Schuldich smirked as he   
concluded that the statement he made a night before had been conformed. Tonight was   
really fun, Schuldich thought as he open the car door and sat shotgun in the seat.   
Crawford pulled himself in the driver's seat and Nagi and Farfarello took the back.  
  
  
//I wonder what tomorrow will bring.//  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(1) Usagi- bunny  
(2) Naruhodo- I see  
(3) To iimasu to- what do you mean 


	9. Beginning of Fire

Title: Essence of Innocence  
Chapter 9: Beginning of Fire  
Author: lilnekochan  
Pairings: Crawford x Schuldich, Yohji x Aya, Ken x Omi, Farfarello x Nagi  
Warnings: Yaoi, OOC, nice Farfarello (shudders)  
  
Author's Note: Finally I have some Farfarello x Nagi. I explained more about the psychic Level  
system but you'll find out why there's never been any Level 10 psychics later in the story. I  
know that the ending is rather adrupt but I really didn't want to write anymore since I'm kinda  
tired. That and also this chapter is getting a bit long. I'm one of thos people who loves to go  
to sleep at two or three in the morning then wake up at eleven in the morning so I was a bit  
tired when I finished the chapter. School started and already in my first week we already have   
tests, quizes and homework. It really sucks but what can I do. Either way in the next chapter   
I'll explained why Schuldich is so moody in this chapter. I know that he was all carefree and   
happy (if that's what you'll call it) in Ch 8 but like I said, I'll explain more in  
the next chapter. Sorry about not having a lot of Weiss in this story but they're be in the   
story later. Hey, they are one of the main characters after all. I've just been in the Schwarz   
writing mood in these last few chapters so I wrote about them instead of Weiss but don't worry   
since Weiss will be back in Chapter 11.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Beginning of Fire  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The moon was high in the sky. The darkened sky was sprinkled with myriads of   
tiny sparkling beads. Stuck to the dark black sky the stars were very easily seen as they   
twinkled with God's might. The air was devoid of any clouds, instead decorating itself   
with the stars and moon. Everything was still except for the gentle sway of the breeze.   
The trees rustled as squirrels rushed up the greenery and occasionally birds flocked back   
to their nests.   
  
The night road was devoid of any cars. The streets glisten with the slight covering   
of water and the streetlights dimmed low because of the absence of vehicles. Trees   
overshadowed the lonely area as a single array of light pierced the once still street.   
Headlights flashed as the car quickly drove pass, ignoring the stop sign. The voluble roar   
of the engine was the only sound coming from the car as it drove to its destination.  
  
Nagi stared out tiredly from inside the car. His body was overwhelmed by sleep   
as painful aches echoed through his head. Green and black blurred as the shapes of the   
trees and sky passed before his eyes. The silhouette of the moon was gone, unnoticed as   
deep brown eyes began to droop. The silence inside the car was deafening, but Nagi did   
not have the courage to speak first. It was obvious to the young teen that something was   
wrong. The mission was planned to be flawless, but somehow during the mission a thief   
intervened. Not only did she escape but also escaped with almost all of the data that they   
had found, however that was not what was worrying the Japanese at the moment. No,   
Nagi was worried about his teammates.   
  
At the thought Nagi from the corner of his eye first glanced at the driver sitting in   
front of him in the five-setter car. Crawford was not a person who liked to bring   
unwanted attention of both himself as well as Schwarz. He thought it better that they   
mixed in with the rest of society so that they would not get in trouble yet here he was   
driving at 65 miles per hour down a residential street. Nagi knew that Crawford was   
keeping a secret from them...from Schwarz. It had something to do with the mission. On   
every mission Crawford had always briefed them about the target from every detail like   
public appearances to the discreet private ones. Never had Crawford refused to give them   
information on a mission like he was with this target.   
  
Crawford had told them that this mission had a personal connection to him. Nagi   
knew him well enough that until Crawford wanted them to know then they wouldn't,   
which brought up the next problem. Riding shotgun in the front seat sat Schuldich.   
Schuldich was not the kind of person who liked having people hide things from him. The   
German had been unusually quiet through the long ride, not even sparring the American   
sitting next to him a glance. Though Nagi was not very experienced in the matters of love   
or lust he did know enough that he knew that the German deeply cared for their leader.   
Because Crawford was keeping a secret from him was hurting him in the inside even   
though the telepath would probably deny it. Nagi could see that Schuldich was staring out   
the car window with somewhat glassy eyes and that wasn't a good thing.  
  
The fourth occupant of the car sat right in back of the glassy eyed German.   
Farfarello like the rest of his team was also too quiet, not even ranting about hurting God   
even once since entering the car. True, Farfarello did not kill anyone but people had died   
and that should have been enough for him. The Irishman like Schuldich and Nagi was   
staring out the window. At what Nagi did not know since there was nothing outside   
besides grass and trees. The bushes obscured the view of the houses on the over side.   
Farfarello hand slowly rose as it pressed against the frosty window. The movement   
caught Nagi's attention and the young boy couldn't do anything but stare.   
  
Farfarello's hand was pressed against the windshield as the other rested on his lap.   
His forehead settled lightly against the window as bits of light flickered off him. A   
golden eye glowed as the light showed the visual scars self-inflicted upon his face. More   
scars were on the muscular arms and chest as a blue shirt hanged off his frame. Nagi's   
first thought upon looking at the picture was that Farfarello was very kawaii. With the   
gold eyes glittering in the moonlight and face and hand pressed again the window like   
that, Farfarello looked like a little child at Christmas. With that thought Nagi dismissed   
the idea. First, Farfarello did not have the same air of innocence like a child does and   
second, he probably was not a great believer of Christmas. But even with that Nagi still   
thought that he was kawaii.  
  
Nagi clearly remembered the first time that he met Farfarello. The Irish had already   
created the scars on his face and body however they were still fresh. The eye patch was   
still there as Crawford brought him slowly to meet the other two members. Nagi, only   
nine at the time was very scared while Schuldich just smirked. Nagi thought that the scars   
were very ugly, and as the gold eye landed on him in inspection, he also thought that the   
man was insane and very dangerous. Nagi's opinion of the crazed Irish had changed   
drastically since that meeting six years ago. He still thought that the man was dangerous   
and crazy but knew that sometimes Farfarello showed signs of normalcy and affection   
towards the other members of Schwarz. The Nagi's opinion of the scars...well, he had   
come to appreciate them. With their line of business scars were important to remember   
the past as well as the mistakes that they made and in the future will have to avoid.   
Farfarello appearance and personality from the white frosty hair to the slightly wild gold   
eye only made Schwarz stronger since each individual had their own powers and   
uniqueness.   
  
And that brought Nagi back to his problems...his family. Through the years Nagi   
had started to look up to Crawford as a fatherly figure. Crawford was the one who took   
him in making sure that he ate healthy as well as did his homework. He taught him   
mathematics under the dimmed lights at night, etiquette for business, and about   
controlling his powers. Nagi had come to see Schuldich as a brother, always fooling   
around and calling him bishounen but did care about Nagi in his own way.   
Farfarello...well as always he was an enigma. Nagi was not sure how he saw the Irish. A   
friend certainly...maybe a brother but still not right...a father...no! No, Nagi was   
confused about his emotions towards the Irishman.  
  
Nagi shook his head to rid himself of his confused thoughts. From the corner of his   
eye he saw Farfarello glance at him for the sudden movement. Nagi wanted to pierce the   
uncomfortable silence. When everything was so quiet it made Nagi think and thinking   
made he more confused about his situation with Farfarello and this mission. No, it's   
better to just ask Crawford who seems to know what was happening then to ponder at it   
and come to no conclusion.  
  
Clearing his throat softly Nagi turned to Crawford. "...Crawford?"  
  
A few tense seconds passed before Crawford replied, "Yes, Nagi?"  
  
"Today...when we were talking to Weiss...you said something about psychic   
Levels?" Nagi asked hesitantly. He saw both Schuldich and Farfarello straighten at the   
question.  
  
"You have a question about it?" Crawford asked as he steered the car into a right   
turn.  
  
"Can you explain it in more detail? I still do not understand it completely from the   
descriptions before?"  
  
"Do you want to know about the Levels themselves or about the process involved   
in moving from one Level to another?"  
  
"Both." Nagi said after little thought.  
  
"Before I had said that the Levels were a measurement of the complexity of a   
certain psychic power. Level 1 is the most basic level meaning that a person has an active   
psychic power however their control over it is weak. Level 2 would be the same except   
that the control had been strengthen to a large degree."   
  
"You said that I was at Level 1." Nagi stated.  
  
"Nagi, you have a very strong control over your powers. Do not think that you   
don't, but telekinesis is also a hard ability to control. Every time you use telekinesis it   
weakens you. A Level 2 for telekinesis would be when the psychic can use that power   
without weakening himself. Of coarse it depends on how much you are using the power   
and how large is the range. Tonight you used you powers quiet a bit so it weakened you   
but the first and second time you used your power it didn't weaken you. That means that   
you are almost at Level 2." Answered Crawford.  
  
"What about the other Levels?"  
  
"Level 3 is when the power evolves into another form. Level 4 will then be either   
be a more controlled aspect of that ability or another evolution. It really depends on the   
ability that each psychic has."  
  
Nagi pondered the last information that was laid before him, "Why didn't Esstet   
teach psychics based on these Levels? I don't remember them mentioning anything about   
this before..."  
  
"The psychic levels were usually used by people who did not have psychic abilities   
towards those who did. It gave them a standard on how strong each psychic was. Esstet   
did not use this since they already had strong seers who could sense these things."  
  
"Then what Level are you? And what about Schuldich ...and ...well Farfarello?"   
Nagi asked as they made another right turn in the deserted street. Schuldich stared   
straight ahead not giving a clue that he was hearing the conversation but Nagi knew that   
he probably was. Schuldich could be discreet when he choose to be and it seems that this   
time was one that he wanted to be. Farfarello was also listening and seemed to perk up at   
his name.  
  
"Farfarello is also at Level 1. His ability is...unusual. That does not mean that it is   
a bad thing. Farfarello is a Level 1 simply because he has no control over his ability to   
not feel pain. It is turned on constantly. If he was at Level 2 then he would be able to   
either intensify or decrease the pain in his body meaning he could manipulate the nerve   
tissues in his body. At higher Levels he should he able to project that ability to someone   
else so that he could control their nerve sensitive tissues."  
  
Nagi's eyes were shocked after hearing Crawford describe Farfarello's ability. He   
turned to Farfarello only to see that he man had turned back to staring out the window in   
lost interest. Either it was before or after Crawford had described his power Nagi did not   
know. He had always thought that Farfarello's gift was rather...more of a blocking of   
emotions rather then a psychic ability. It seems that he was wrong. Schuldich had also   
believed the same thing as Nagi since his eyes had also widened at the news. I never   
knew that Farfarello could have been so strong, Nagi thought to himself.  
  
//I would have to agree with you on that one, bishounen.// Came Schuldich voice   
through Nagi's thoughts.  
  
//Did you have any idea about these Levels, Schuldich?// Nagi asked.  
  
//Nein...// Schuldich said but Nagi could feel the slight annoyance that he did not   
pick up this information from their leader. Crawford was good at blocking Schuldich's   
telepathy but Schuldich never tried to give up on trying to read him.  
  
Crawford was obvious to the exchange and stopped at the flashlight. "Schuldich is   
at a more higher level."  
  
At this Schuldich turned and looked at Crawford. "What Level am I?" He asked.  
  
"Schuldich..." Crawford looked at Schuldich. "You know that telepathy is a   
powerful gift much like telekinesis, however the Levels are arranged much differently.   
This is because telepaths starts at different Levels. Usually the first is empathy then the   
next evolution would be telepathy but you started at the second ability. Because you   
started at the second evolution then you already had the first since if you could read   
minds then you already know their emotions. All was left was control which you now   
have."  
  
"That's all and well but you still haven't answered my question. What Level am   
I?" Schuldich asked as he rolled his eyes.  
  
"Level 6." Crawford answered and looked back at the road.  
  
"Level 6, huh? That's pretty high but putting it bluntly how the hell did I get   
there?"   
  
"Control."  
  
"What's not what I mean." Schuldich with another roll of his eyes. "By my   
calculations I should be at Level 3 or 4. Not that I'm complaining about being a Level 6."  
  
"Your powers are more advanced then most people, Schuldich." Crawford sighed   
as he rubbed the bridge of his noise. Nagi had come to know that particular gesture as the   
'I'm going to have a headache' sign. "Telepathy has the power only to mentally talk with   
other people. With a Level 3 you wouldn't have been able to throw a mental psychic   
blast, rewrite memories, or even search through a person's mind for a particular memory   
or information. Those are the more advanced forms of telepathy that you have."  
  
"There are still four more Levels." Schuldich stated. "Does telepathy evolve again   
or is it about control?"  
  
"Instead of evolving at Level 7, telepaths usually strengthen the control and range   
of each ability. Level 8 is when they gain another ability. The skill is called dowsing.   
You probably heard of this before but the procedure is incorrect. First dowsing does not   
involved rods or sticks, and second it is not the ability to find water. Dowsing is when a   
psychic uses an object to find an individual."  
  
"Why is dowsing a Level 8 ability? Personally I think that the power blast is more   
advanced then the dowsing." Schuldich said as he stared out the window.   
  
"The psychic blast is usually focused on one person, Schuldich. By dowsing the   
psychic wouldn't need the person but instead uses the object that they are holding to   
create a psychic link between that person and the personal object. Using that they can   
search through the person's mind or even blast him with psychic power. That is where the   
voodoo idea came from." Crawford answered.  
  
Schuldich seemed to ponder this, "How is that even a telepathic power?"  
  
Another sigh, "The psychic uses their empathy power to feel where the person is   
by the object then forges a psychic link. The reason this is above the psychic blast is   
because the psychic can use a map and using their empathy ability, search through the   
countries, states, and cities for that person. When a person touches a thing either it be   
living or nonliving he leaves part of his essence behind. By using empathy the psychic   
can use that as a tool to find the person. The object doesn't have to be personal but that   
does make it easier for the telepath."   
  
"...then what about Level 9 and 10?"  
  
"Level 9 for all psychics is when the psychic is in total control of their powers..."  
  
"And Level 10?" Schuldich asked as he looked at Crawford carefully as his   
response drifted away.  
  
"...there has never been a Level 10 psychic." Crawford said in that kind of voice   
that Nagi learned meant that the conversation was final.   
  
Schuldich choose to ignore this, "What do you meant that there hasn't never been a   
Level 10 psychic? Why the hell would they base the standard on 10 Levels then?"   
Schuldich questioned as he began to get annoyed be Crawford's behavior.  
  
Before Crawford could response, he pulled the car into the driveway of their   
sanctuary. Turning off the engine he stepped out of the car. Schuldich followed each   
gesture that Crawford did intent with getting an answer from the cold leader. Nagi also   
got out of the car with Farfarello following his moves and turned to Crawford as he   
spoke. "Nagi, take Farfarello and put him in his cell. Also tend to his wounds and take   
away his knives."  
  
Nagi nodded and grabbed Farfarello's arm and dragged him inside the house.   
Dimly he could hear Schuldich speaking softly to Crawford from outside the house but   
couldn't make out the words. Walking up the stairs he gently walked Farfarello into his   
cell. The cell was an empty room, with no windows or furniture inside. Unlike the other   
cell in the house. The room did not contain an air condition or heating system since   
Crawford had taken the liberty of taking out the system when Farfarello had tried to   
escape his room through the vents. On the top of the ceiling had a small hook and in the   
corner in a pile on the ground was Farfarello's safety jacket and chains.  
  
"Farfarello..." Farfarello looked up at his name. "I need you to stay here while I go   
back to my room." At this the Irishman nodded and Nagi left the kneeling man on the   
floor. Quickly grabbing the first aid box on top of his drawer, Nagi raced back to find the   
Berserker still in the same position on the floor.  
  
Nagi slowly approached the man and softly moved his hand toward the bleeding   
arm. Farfarello didn't like being touched and when he was in a bad mood then he may   
become violent. Nagi touched the arm, with no signs of discomfort from Farfarello, Nagi   
began to dab at the wound. Trying to clean the blood Nagi started to make idle   
conversation, "...so Farfarello...what do you make of the psychic Levels?"  
  
Farfarello shrugged as Nagi pulled out a needle from the first aid box. Nagi   
inserted the needle near the wound and started to carefully weave his way trying to close   
the open wound. Minutes pass in silence as Nagi worked. Feeling the overbearing silence   
beginning to weigh again Nagi spoke hoping to draw his teammate into a conversation.   
"They've been gone for a while. I wonder if Schuldich and Crawford are okay..."  
  
"Schuldich is mad at Crawford." Farfarello said startling Nagi out of his thoughts.   
He didn't really think that the Irish would have answered.  
  
"Why do you say that?"  
  
"Schuldich doesn't like it when Crawford keeps secrets from him. He's mad."   
Farfarello stated. Before Nagi could reply he added, "Angry emotions hurt God."  
  
Nagi felt a small smile tug at the corner or his lips, "Of course."  
  
Nagi put the last touches to the stitches. As he was putting away the equipment he   
saw a small bruise on the Irish's neck. Frowning he turned his attention to the bruise and   
inspected it. "When did you get this?" Nagi asked as he fingered the bruise. Farfarello   
didn't flinch in pain but Nagi didn't really expect him to.  
  
"From the little fire cat." Farfarello said as he stared at the ceiling above him. His   
golden eyes landed on the hook as Nagi stared at his face.   
  
"Fire cat?" Nagi asked confused. His fingers stilled as he looked at Farfarello.  
  
"The devil's pet." Farfarello explained as if Nagi should have known what he was   
referring to.  
  
"Farfarello?" Nagi asked once more thinking that Farfarello might have gone back   
to one of his hallucination. Nagi waited for Farfarello to say reply but he didn't say   
anything. Sighing, Nagi clawed through the box trying to find the bruise ointment that he   
got a few weeks ago. His fingers touched something cold and he grabbed the box and   
took it out. Opening the lid he scrapped some of the gel onto his hand and dabbed at the   
yellowish blue bruise on the Berserker's neck.  
  
Minutes passed silence when Farfarello spoke, "Raven black and fiery red."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"The fire cat."  
  
"Fire cat..." Nagi repeated. "What do you...oh the thief! Is that who you meant?"  
  
Farfarello nodded. "But how did you get it from her?"  
  
Farfarello shrugged as if to say that he didn't know or didn't care. Nagi thought it   
was the latter and finished applying the ointment. She must be fast, Nagi thought as he   
screwed on the lid. I didn't see her block Farfarello's attack or even counter attack   
herself.   
  
Nagi slowly placed the ointment back into its spot inside the first aid box and   
wiped his hand on a pierce of tissue. After finishing he looked up only to find flaming   
gold eyes looking at him.  
  
Nagi startled, eyes widening as gold eyes studied him. Nagi moved back quickly   
only to find the Irish's hand on his waist, pinning him to the floor. What the...? Nagi was   
about to throw a psychic blast until he looked up into the golden eyes above him.   
  
The Irish's eye was an array of deep golden puddles. Nagi had never looked into   
Farfarello's eyes at such a close distance that he was feeling a little awed. Nagi noticed   
the rings around the outer side of the pupils were a darker gold then the ones in the   
inside. Then Nagi blinked again when he noticed the long eye lashes that went with the   
eyes. Nagi felt the warmth of the hand on his waist was he lifted a pale hand and jumped   
as a load slam pierced his golden dream.   
  
"Schuldich's room..." Nagi whispered blinking rapidly then shook his head. When   
images of golden clouds disappeared he found Farfarello sitting Indian style on the   
ground, his face looking back up at the ceiling.  
  
Nagi stood looking at the man on the floor. What happened? Nagi wondered as the   
Irish stared at the ceiling. His eyes were very pretty though...  
  
Nagi then remembered Crawford's orders and shook out of his state of shock. Nagi   
tentatively stepped near Farfarello and said in a soft voice, "Farfarello, can you stand up   
for a while. I need to put on your jacket."  
  
Farfarello looked back at the Japanese boy then stood up. Using his power Nagi   
lifted the jacket off the floor he floated the jacket into his hands. Unbuttoning the belts   
and buttons he opened the straightjacket and flung it over the Irishman's shoulders. It was   
a little awkward since Nagi was a bit shorter then his older teammate but he ignored the   
height difference and began to button the jacket. Nagi finished with the last belt and   
looked up and saw Farfarello studying him again.  
  
"N-Nani!?"  
  
Farfarello cocked his head and stared at the boy, "You have chocolate eyes."  
  
"Huh!?"  
  
"They're like that triangle one."  
  
"Triangle what?"  
  
"That triangle chocolate."  
  
"The Hershey Kiss?"  
  
"Is that the name?"  
  
"...when did you get chocolate?"  
  
"Schuldich."  
  
"Oh."   
  
"They're pretty." Nagi blinked as he replayed the conversation in his head. Now   
this was something that he wouldn't have thought that Farfarello would say to him. He   
didn't even know that Schuldich had given any chocolate to the Irishman. Then...  
  
"You think my eyes are pretty!?"  
  
"They hurt God."  
  
"...how do they hurt God?"  
  
"Chocolate hurts God."  
  
"...okay." Nagi decided not to continue with the conversation. Personally he didn't   
know how chocolate hurts God but he didn't want Farfarello to go into his ranting stage.   
Then he looked at the hook above him. "I have to lock you up, Farfarello." He looked at   
Farfarello. "...I don't really want to hang you upside down but...if you're good then I   
won't. Will you behave?"  
  
Farfarello looked at him.  
  
"Farfarello?"  
  
Farfarello shrugged and Nagi decided to take that as a yes. Mentally lifting the   
chain up to the ceiling he pulled it tight until there are almost no slack for the Irish to   
move around much. Taking the discarded knives on the floor he picked them up and   
walked to the door. Pausing at the doorway he glanced back. "Oyasuminasai, Farfarello."  
  
Nagi didn't hear a response but wasn't expecting one. He stepped out into the hall   
and locked the bolts on the door. Turning around he looked at the dresser next to the wall.   
A beautiful antic dresser stood there with a flower vase settled on top of it. Stems of an   
iris grew out of the glass vase as a few blossoms fell onto the dresser. A picture of the   
kanji character 'rebirth' was hung on the wall right above the flower vase. After placing   
the knives back in their proper place Nagi walked to his room but as he passed Schuldich   
room he paused. He debated whether he should interrupt the German but decided that it   
would be better if he talked to the German in the morning when he was in a better mood.   
Stepping into his room, Nagi walked pass his twin size bed and passed his dresser and   
computer to his desk where the business files were spread across. Switching on a light in   
his faint room he sat heavily in his chair and opened the first file that he found.  
  
"Creation of the Demon Ray Project X62POI6. On March 13 the weapon was..."   
Nagi read on as the lights glowed. Outside his bedroom window the wind was still. The   
only noise that interrupted the Japanese boy was that of the electricity in his room. Nagi   
licked his index finger then turned the page that he was reading. His chocolate brown   
eyes browsed down the page then stopped. Eyes scrunching together he reread the data   
presented in front of him. This doesn't make sense, Nagi thought as he flipped to another   
page and scanned the information.   
  
"What the hell is going on?" Nagi voiced the thought that was running through his   
mind. 


	10. Teardrops in Snow

Title: Essence of Innocence  
Chapter 10: Teardrops in Snow  
Author: lilnekochan  
email: lilneko_chan@hotmail.com  
Pairings: Yohji x Aya, Crawford x Schuldich, Ken x Omi, Farfarello x Nagi  
  
Author's Notes: Finally I finished chapter 10. Isn't Schuldich cute when he's with the with the   
little black cat!? Its so kawaii! Either way the cat is back and here to stay. Later in future  
chapter the other Schwarz members will play with the cat (even Crawford...hehe). Hey maybe I'll  
even have Weiss pet the litty kitty cat. Either way you probably noticed that this chapter is a  
cliffhanger. Actually a lot of my chapters are like that since that's how I write stories. Either  
way I know that I've been kinda ignoring Yohji x Aya but don't worry since the next chapter will  
be in Yohji's POV. Well, I think that's all I have to say so au revoir.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Teardrops in Snow  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The darkness around him was consuming, threatening to pull him into their deadly   
grasps. Shadows turned around every corner as street lamps dimmed low. The place was   
surrounded by somber atmosphere, the air thick with the taint of death. Little specks of   
snow drifted from the sky above, raining down upon the lonely house centered in   
desolate street. The emptiness stood still as the young boy knelt next to the cold body of   
his mother. Fiery orange hair fell over reddening eyes as teardrops stained the blood   
soaked floor. Soft sobs were gone unnoticed as the boy watched the blood drip across the   
icy steps that lead into the cottage. A pale hand lay across the floor as the blood   
surrounded the lifeless body.   
  
Crimson red was splattered across the room, windows stained red as rivers of   
scarlet seeped through the embroidered carpet. The boy slowly pulled himself off from   
the ground, knees bruised pink by his cold surroundings. Stepping past the stairs, blood   
sticking to his poorly tended shoes; the boy slumped next to the body and stared at the   
face that he knew so well. Midnight black hair curled away from a delicate and feminine   
face. The woman's eyes were closed but the boy knew that when her eyes were open they   
were a piercing emerald green color. The thin rosy lips were turning a bluish color as the   
heat left the once warm body. The boy lifted a weak hand toward his mothers face, gently   
caressing a cheek. Using the other hand the boy shook a shoulder getting no response.   
  
"Mutter..." The boy whispered as tears threaten to flow again.  
  
The boy flung his arms around the body sprinkling tears at the sudden movement.   
Sinking into the bloody floor the boy cried. A dark and endless ache sprung into his heart.   
So deep in his thoughts the boy didn't notice the footsteps coming into the house. The   
boy startled as he felt a hand touch his shoulder. Spinning wildly around, the boy tripped   
on a broken piece of wood and fell in an ungraceful sprawl on the floor. Looking up with   
frail eyes, he gazed into dark brown eyes. The Asian woman stared as the boy then   
signaled to her partner who was standing to the right of her.  
  
"He is one of us." The woman said. Before the boy could respond to the comment   
he felt two strong arms pulled him up from his position on the floor and forcefully pulled   
towards the door.   
  
"Let go!" The boy shouted as he struggled to free himself only for it to be in vain.   
Looking back at the body on the floor he shouted once more. He glanced for the last time   
at his mother's dead body before he was shoved into the limousine, which would carry   
him to the place where he would spend the next five years of his life.   
  
Schuldich sprung up in his bed, gasping for breath as sweat trickled down his bare   
back. The cool air around him helped his beating heat as he pressed a hand on his heated   
forehead. His sweat matted hair stuck wildly to his skin while the blanket lay crumbled   
around his waist. Shaking his head, Schuldich closed his eyes tightly hoping that the   
nightmare would go away.  
  
"Why do I keep on dreaming of her?" Schuldich whispered to the empty room.   
"Why can't I forget?"  
  
Schuldich pulled his knees up and pressed his forehead down. Crossing his arms   
around his bent knees Schuldich let out a breath of air. The German was contemplating   
just sitting there in the darkness when a small noise made him look down at the spot next   
to him. There the black cat that he found the night before sat, rubbing its furry head   
against the telepath's leg. Looking up with bright green eyes the cat left out a tiny   
'meow' and swiped a playful paw at him. Giving a small chuckle at the antics of the cat,   
Schuldich picked her up and settled the black mush at top of his lap. Crossing his legs   
Indian style, Schuldich scratched behind the cat's ear as a small smile formed on his lips.  
  
"Were you worried about me, katzchen?" Schuldich laughed as the cat gave off a   
contented purr. "You don't have to worry now. I'm fine."  
  
Turning his head towards the clock it read five.   
  
"Crawford will be down for breakfast soon." Schuldich told the cat sitting next to   
him. "Maybe I'll surprise him today by waking up early instead of around noon."  
  
Schuldich heard a 'meow' response and patted the little black head. Swinging the   
sheets off his legs the German stood up and stretched. Turning around he faced the   
dresser and started to pick through his clothes while talking with the cat.  
  
"I still haven't named you yet." Schuldich said absent mindlessly. Digging through   
his mess of clothes he picked up a forest green shirt. "Aha...how does this look?"  
  
The kitten looked up from his grooming and let out a 'meow' and shook her tail.   
Schuldich took that to mean that the cat liked the outfit. Schuldich grabbed a pair of black   
leader pants and a towel and was headed toward the bathroom when a noise made him   
pause and look back. The cat was now standing on all four legs with her fur on end.  
  
"Did you want to come to, katzchen?" Schuldich asked as he picked up the little   
fluff. "I guess that you want to see the rest of the house. This room must have been   
boring for you while I was out."  
  
Holding the cat in one arm and his clothes and towel in another, Schuldich started   
toward the bathroom. His teammates where still asleep since the hall was still silent.   
Usually by the time Schuldich got up there would have been a coffee scent in the house   
thanks to his American leader or the television or radio would be on while Nagi watched   
the latest technology scope. Farfarello would have been either in his cell or sitting in the   
living room with Nagi playing with the latest thing that had his interest. Schuldich   
slipped into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind him. After plugging the   
bathroom sink he turned on the water to warm and started to strip while the cat played   
with the soap bar.  
  
After taking off his pants he turned off the sink water and looked towards the cat.   
The cat was sitting by the edge of the water eyeing it curiously. Its noise and an ear were   
covered in soap.   
  
"Hm...it seems that you need a bath as well." Schuldich picked up a towel and   
wetted the end of it. Gently he petted at the ear and noise until the soap was gone.   
"There! Now you're clean again."  
  
The cat looked up at him and purred. Then the kitten butted her head against his   
chest and Schuldich laughed and settled the cat next to the water. The kitten swiped her   
paw through the water creating little rings puddles.  
  
Schuldich shook his head at the image then stepped into the shower. Turning on the   
handle, cold water splattered on the unsuspecting victim.  
  
"Kuso!" Schuldich cursed as he turned the handle to the left. Warm water started to   
flow and the cold water gradually turned into a lukewarm temperature.   
  
As the water warmed up Schuldich annoyance began to decrease until altogether   
he felt no need to curse. The German dipped his head under the downpour of water and   
blindly searched for the shampoo. His hand found the triangular shaped bottle and after   
opening his eyes for a moment he squeezed some onto his hands. Combing his hands   
through his wild orange hair Schuldich began to drift into last night's mission. First the   
penetration of the laboratory then the fight with the tiger and lastly the girl/woman thief   
left Schuldich feeling quiet a bit perplexed. If Schuldich had not experience it himself he   
would have thought that last night's adventure was just another cheap movie script. Well,   
I guess that I own the little katzchen an apology since that panther stole files from us as   
well, Schuldich thought.  
  
Schuldich didn't know what annoyed him more, the stolen files or the secrets.   
The telepath in all his life hardly had anyone surprise him without him knowing, yet this   
woman, a child really, was able to block his powers from sensing her but also steal the   
files that he had downloaded. That in itself irritated the German but added to that the   
secrets that Crawford seemed to be hiding from the other Schwarz members made   
Schuldich really angry and frustrated. Schuldich was usually more in control of his   
emotions but last night adventure seemed to push the telepath past his limits, which   
resulted in his sulking on the car ride back and the argument with Crawford before he   
retired to his room.   
  
Feeling tired all of the sudden Schuldich leaned his head against the cool tile of the   
shower. That girl...I know that Crawford knew her...  
  
When the girl's face was revealed Crawford had recognized her but denied it when   
Schuldich confronted him. The German spent the last ten years watching Crawford so he   
knew for a fact that Crawford was lying. Though the Mastermind knew this fact he did   
not know what connection that the American had with the mystery girl. It has something   
to do with the mission but other then that the German was at a complete lost.   
  
Schuldich shook his head not wanting to create a headache by thinking too much   
on the subject, which he would not be able to come to a conclusion. After rinsing the   
soap off his body, Schuldich stepped out of the shower and grabbed the navy towel off   
from the rack.   
  
Droplets of water cling to his pale skin as his silky hair stuck out in random places.   
Quickly drying himself off Schuldich wrapped the towel around his waist and wiped part   
of the fogged window clear. Picking up a brush from a drawer he started to comb from   
his hair. The German looked at his reflection as his hand slowly moved across his head.   
Schuldich had always liked his looks. The fiery orange hair and cat like green eyes   
attracted a lot of attention and his lean slender body earned him many sighs and secret   
crushes. Schuldich liked the attention and jealous looks however there was one person   
who he did not get the attention from and that was the one person, which he truly wanted   
their interest.  
  
A yowl alerted Schuldich's attention downward to the now completely wet cat. The   
kitten had accidentally tripped in the sink and was now dripping wet and looking a little   
cross. Schuldich rolled his eyes and picked up the wet black mop.  
  
"Can't you stay out of trouble for a second?" Schuldich asked as he picked another   
towel and swiped it across the soft baby fur.   
  
The cat meowed and licked at a paw.  
  
"I guess that you can't." Schuldich said softly. "I guess that we're the same since I   
can't seem to stay out of trouble as well."   
  
At the soft tone the cat crawled away from the German's hand and made her way   
towards the telepath's cheek. The kitten then stopped it flight up and rubbed a cheek   
against the German's, purring lightly.   
  
Schuldich smiled at the attention and lifted the cat. After putting her on the sink he   
turned and unplugged the sink. "Thanks, katzchen."  
  
Schuldich took off his towel and started to don on his clothes while talking with the   
cat.   
  
"I think I know what to call you but first lets get breakfast since I'm very hungry."  
  
A yowl answered which the German took as an agreement. "I'll go to the pet store   
later and buy you some stuff since I don't really have any toys for you..."  
  
Schuldich shrugged into his tight pants and began to button up his shirt. Leaving   
the bottom and top two button open Schuldich threw the towel into the laundry bin and   
scooped the cat from her spot. "...and Crawford still owes me that reward."  
  
The German was in a much better mood as he made his way down the stairs.   
Schuldich made his way through the hall, petting the cat absently as he walked. Stepping   
into the kitchen he saw that the American had already awaken. Placing his usually smirk   
on his face he crossed his arms behind him, hiding the cat completely from Crawford's   
view.   
  
Crawford was sitting in his usually spot at the head of the dinning table with a   
newspaper in his hand and a steaming coffee cup on the table. Crawford was in the   
middle of turning the page when he heard a slight shuffling noise. Looking up from the   
article he saw the German walk into the kitchen.  
  
Crawford blinked when he saw the German. Then he turned and looked at the   
clock hanging from the wall then he turned back to the German with his eyebrows   
scrunched together. Schuldich silently laughed at the confusion in the oracle's eyes. The   
day that I wake earlier then noon is the day that the world ends, Schuldich laughed.   
Crawford is probably questioning whether I'm actually here or I'm just a ghost.   
  
"Ohayo, Bradley." Schuldich replied cheerfully.  
  
"Schuldich." Crawford acknowledged. "You're up early today."  
  
"So I am." Schuldich said as he maneuvered his way toward the dinning table.   
Schuldich felt the cat stir in his hand and petted it softly as he hid the black cat from his   
leader.  
  
"Is there a reason that you are up? We do not have a job today."   
  
Schuldich smirk widen and saw the worried glance from the American, "Oh, no   
reason."  
  
Schuldich leaned on the side of the table next to Crawford. As he did so he slipped   
the cat into a nearby chair that was hidden from the American's view. Schuldich silently   
hoped that the cat would not make a noise until the right time has come.   
  
Schuldich leaned over and took Crawford's cup. Bringing the steaming liquid to   
his lips he breathed in the small and took a small sip. The molten hot liquid steamed   
down his throat in a familiar and welcome way. After the small sip Schuldich gripped the   
cup in his hands and placed the cup next to his cheek. When Schuldich looked back down   
at the American, Crawford was eyeing Schuldich or rather the cup in Schuldich's hand.  
  
"There is more coffee. You could have gotten yourself a cup."   
  
"But where's the fun in that." Schuldich smiled.  
  
Crawford sighed, "Coffee is something you indulge in or keeps you awake. It is not   
supposed to be fun."  
  
"Why not?"   
  
"What are you up to, Schuldich?" Crawford asked distrustfully.  
  
"Well, if we only use one cup then we save the work of washing two of them   
later."  
  
"That's not what I mean."  
  
"Then what do you mean, Bradley?"  
  
"Crawford."  
  
"Hm?"   
  
"Don't pretend that you don't know what I am saying?"  
  
"If you don't tell me then how am I suppose to know." Schuldich asked keeping   
the innocence smile on his face.   
  
Crawford pinched the bridge of his nose, "Its too early for your games, Schuldich."  
  
"I'm not playing any games...at least right now."  
  
"..."  
  
Schuldich cocked his head and smiled, "You really should relax sometimes,   
Bradley. Its not good for your health if you stress too much."  
  
Crawford muttered under his breath and folded the newspaper in his lap. Even   
though Crawford had barely said the words Schuldich was able to hear what he said.   
'How can I not stress with you around?'  
  
Schuldich smirked. Taking the coffee away form his cheek he leaned over until his   
face was only millimeters away from Crawford's. His orange head fell across his face   
almost making a tent between both Crawford and the German.  
  
"You should drink some coffee to calm your nerves, Bradley." Schuldich said, lips   
barely glazing the soft ones across from him.  
  
As he said this Schuldich brought up the cup and laid it gently on the American's   
lips. Crawford eyes Schuldich stonily but Schuldich pushed the cup more forcefully on   
Crawford's thin lips. Crawford looked at the German's face but saw the intent looks that   
the orange haired man had. Crawford knew that look and gave a sigh as he quietly   
opened his mouth.  
  
Schuldich smiled as he tipped the coffee so the liquid could pour into the   
American's opened lips. The telepath was carefully not to spill any on the clean white   
shirt that Crawford had on. As the last drop of coffee was gone Schuldich removed the   
cup and placed it on the table. Seating himself on the edge of the dinning table, Schuldich   
leaned in. Bringing one hand to the stripped tie around the American's neck e started to   
play with the thing as the other rested on the armrest of the wooden chair.  
  
The German tilted his head. His nose butted against the American's cheek as he   
breathed in the scent of the man. The fresh scent of soap invaded the German's nose but   
underneath was the American's own scent. Nice, Schuldich thought. Actually Brad's   
scent is rather like his aura...fresh spring water, sakura, and coffee. It was kind of weird   
but nice.  
  
Schuldich felt Crawford shift away form him. Smirking softly, Schuldich slide his   
lips across Crawford's cheek and rested them at the curve of his neck. "Is something   
wrong?"  
  
Schuldich knew that Crawford would never admit that something was wrong.   
  
"Iie." Crawford answered and stopped moving.  
  
Schuldich smiled and pressed his lips to the American's ear. "You seem a little   
stiff." Schuldich observed as he breathed into the American's ear.  
  
"...what are you doing?"  
  
"Nothing." Schuldich said mean while nuzzling against Crawford neck.  
  
"Schuldich..." Crawford warned. It seemed that Crawford had gotten over the   
embarrassment.  
  
"Yes, Bradley?" Schuldich asked innocently. Schuldich stopped his administrations   
and turned to look into dark brown eyes.   
  
"What are you doing?" Crawford asked as he sternly looked at Schuldich.  
  
Schuldich smiled as his hand straighten his wild untamed hair. Crawford was about   
to speak when Schuldich interrupted him. "You owe me a reward."  
  
"Huh?" Crawford asked stumped. The last thing that Crawford thought Schuldich   
would have said was this.  
  
"Remember yesterday during the mission? You said that if I was a good little boy   
then I would get a reward when we got home. Well, I didn't kill any of the kittens so I get   
to have a reward."  
  
Schuldich saw the way that Crawford flinched at the memory and Schuldich   
couldn't help but flash him a smile.  
  
Crawford sighed, "And the reward that you want is...?"  
  
Schuldich smirked, "Why say it out loud when I can demonstrate..."   
  
With this Schuldich leaned in toward the startled American. Crawford saw the   
German close his eyes, his long reddish eyelashes dark against his flushed cheeks. Warm   
air caressed against Crawford cheek. Crawford was about to push the German away form   
him when he froze as the first feel of warm lips laid against his own.   
  
Before Crawford could do anything a pair of green eyes invaded his vision and a   
wet tongue licked his nose. Crawford jumped and looked again and saw not Schuldich   
but rather a small black cat. Schuldich moved the cat away from Crawford's face and   
grinned, "Isn't she cute?"  
  
"Nani!?"  
  
Schuldich smiled and draped an arm around the started American. With the other   
he brought the cat up to his cheek. "I want to keep her."  
  
"Keep her?" Crawford repeated stupidly, unsure of how to react to the new change   
of pace.   
  
"You said that I can have a reward and I want Mi-chan."  
  
"Mi-chan?"  
  
"Mi-chan, short for Miyu. Isn't it an adorable name!?"  
  
"Name?"  
"Are you okay, Bradley?" Schuldich asked as Crawford stared at the German and   
cat. "Bradley?"  
  
Crawford shook himself out of his stuttering and looked at Schuldich finally   
comprehending what he was saying. "You want to keep this cat?"  
  
"Hai." Schuldich said as the cat gave a 'meow.'  
  
"You know that we're not suppose to have animals." Crawford stated and crossed   
his arms.  
  
"I know but you forgot something." Schuldich said cheerfully.  
  
"And what is that?" Crawford asked losing his confidence a little as he felt a   
feeling that he shouldn't have asked that question.  
  
"You still owe we a reward and I want Mi-chan."  
  
Crawford opened his mouth about to come up with another argument when he   
spoke again, "Remember that you owe me a reward and if you don't let me keep her then   
I am going to bug you until you give up. I hope that you remember how annoying I can   
be for future notice."  
  
Crawford looked at Schuldich and saw the determination and looked at the cat as it   
gave him an innocence stare and meowed. Crawford looked back at Schuldich and   
opened his mouth. Schuldich thinned his lips and Crawford closed his lips. The American   
knew that Schuldich was already annoyed with him and his secrets. Crawford weighed   
the pro and cons of having a cat then looked at the German. Schuldich stared at the   
American and Crawford quickly agreed that the pros definitely outweighed the cons.   
Having Schuldich on his good side was much better then having a pissed powerful   
telepath against you.  
  
"You can have the cat..." Crawford said reluctantly.  
  
Schuldich smiled and picked up the cat, cradling her in his arms. "Thanks,   
Bradley."  
  
Crawford sighed and ribbed the bridge of his nose, "...I did owe you a reward so   
you can have the cat. But remember that the cat is your responsibility."  
  
"Hai, hai." Schuldich said as he petted the cat. The German turned when he heard a   
noise outside the kitchen. A moment later Nagi opened the door and looked at the other   
two older Schwarz.   
  
Stepping forward the Japanese boy turned to Crawford and held up the folder that   
he had in his hand, "Crawford...who is Demona?" 


	11. Drifting of Blossoms

Title: Essence of Innocence  
Chapter 11: Drifting of Blossoms  
Author: lilnekochan  
email: lilneko_chan@hotmail.com  
Pairings: Yohji x Aya, Crawford x Schuldich, Ken x Omi, Farfarello x Nagi  
  
Author's Note: I want to give a very special thank you to everyone who reviewed so far. All of  
the reviews helped me a great deal especially ones that pointed out some (or rather a lot..hehe)   
of the mistakes in the story. *twiddles thumbs* Jeez, it was so embarassing going back and   
correcting the mistakes and everything. But on the bright side I finally finished another   
chapter even if it's a bit short and I'll try to finish another one soon :) I really didn't have  
a lot of time to do this with school and college apps and everything but now I'm free as a bird!  
YAY!! Of course all I have to do now is wait and see if I get accepted and that's not fun but I   
can't really do anything about that so oh well. ^_^ Well, as I said in the last posting this   
chapter is in Yohji's POV and we finally get some progress in the Yohji/Aya situation. I hope   
that this chapter didn't seem kinda weird since the last time I wrote in either Yohji or Aya   
view, they were still confused about their emotions. Oh, yeah! I know that I've been tormenting  
Schuldich in the past few chapters but fear not...soon he'll get Crawford and everything will be  
happily ever after...yeah right! Seriously though, I probably won't torment Schuldich anything   
soon since he and the rest of Schwarz have to meet Weiss then go on another mission. After I was  
thinking of another little romanic thing between Crawford and Schuldich. Hey, maybe I'll make  
Schuldich steal a small kiss from Crawford. ^^  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Drifting of Blossoms  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The sun was high in the clear azure sky. Birds soared through the air as they   
welcomed a new day. On the streets people hurried off to work as they raced through the   
streets hoping not to be late. Many stores were not crowded because of the early time   
except for a few shops. One such was the Koneko no Sumu Ie. The flower shop was   
filled with the chattering of teenage girls as a blond haired man tried to maneuver his way   
through them without being groped.   
  
It's too early in the morning for this, Yohji sighed as he slipped behind the counter.   
Don't these girls have anything better to do? Don't they have homework or something!?   
  
Yohji was in an irritable mood having woken up to Ken's persistent pounding and   
calls. Yohji had the morning shift that day since Ken was out coaching his soccer team   
for an upcoming competition and Omi was upstairs researching the data for any helpful   
information. Aya was supposed to be on the morning shift as well but the taciturn   
redhead had yet to show up.  
  
I wonder where our social butterfly has gone to, Yohji thought as he wrapped the   
bundle of flowers that the girl in front of him had bought. He's usually here on time.   
Actually, I'm the one always late for work!  
  
Yohji gave a dazzling smile at the girl and gave her the recite and change. Turning   
around, he was immediately assaulted by another woman. Suppressing the sigh that   
threatened to escape his mouth, Yohji turned around and gave the woman a bright smile.   
  
"Is there anything that I can help you with?"   
  
A smile curved on the girl lips as she leaned closer to Yohji. "Perhaps..."  
  
Yohji grinned when he caught sight of the person in front of him. The girl or rather   
woman was in her early twenties and was openly giving Yohji a flirting smile. Flirting   
came easily to Yohji, almost as it was a part of him, which it was. Smiling boldly at the   
woman, he started to turn on the Kudou charms.   
  
As Yohji flirted with the woman, a streak of red crossed his vision from the side of   
his eye. Aha! So our valiant knight has decided to grace us with his presence. Twisting   
his head to where Aya stood, Yohji was about to comment about his lateness when he   
froze. All coherent thought flew and the woman in front of him was forgotten as he took   
in the vision standing in front of him. Aya was decked out in dark blue jeans but had   
exchanged his usual orange sweater for a black shirt that clung to his body. Overall the   
whole attire made the redhead desirable and very sexy. Locks of silky red hair fell into   
the redhead's eyes, as Aya glanced around the room.  
  
When the violet orbs landed on him, Yohji realized that he had been staring and   
quickly looked down. Yohji felt his cheeks burn hot and tried to cool himself before his   
teammate realized that the blond was blushing. The woman in front of him asked if   
anything was wrong and all Yohji could do was shake his head.  
  
Aya's alto voice boomed above his head, "If you are not buying anything then   
leave!"  
  
The woman gave the redhead an irritated look then handed Yohji a piece of paper.   
"Call me later." The woman winked then walked towards the entrance.  
  
Yohji was left staring at the place she once stood. Carefully shaking himself out of   
his thoughts he turned around and went back to work. He threw the paper into the   
trashcan as he passed it and turned to the next customer in line. He felt Aya's eyes burn   
into the back of his neck.   
  
Resisting the urge to shiver, Yohji turned to the customer and started to count up   
the flowers that she had. The burning sensation began to dissipate and Yohji knew that   
Aya had stopped staring at him.  
  
Playing with the flower arrangement on the table, he glanced at his teammate from   
lowered lashes. As Yohji watched, Aya leaned his head back and his shirt shifted to   
expose a smooth column of his throat. Crimson hair hung disheveled over the redhead's   
shoulders and the shirt rippled across his stomach. Yohji froze and the only word that   
shifted through his mind was 'beautiful'. Yohji didn't know how he missed his   
teammate's strange, and virile beauty. Perhaps in all the chaos, he had taken it for granted   
and now only for it to leap out at him now against the muted background of the store.   
Yohji squashed the impulse to cross the store and run his fingers through the fine silk.   
Instead, he turned to the flowers next to him and began to water them.  
  
Both Yohji and Aya worked in silence. The store had suddenly become empty, the   
only occupants in the room the two Weiss assassins. From time to time, Yohji felt the   
heated glance on his back, only for it to disappear once he turned to stare at his teammate.   
After several minutes of this repeated action Yohji decided to approach the Japanese man   
about it.  
  
It's not like I did anything...or at least I don't think I did. Why does he keep on   
looking at me only to look away when I turn to him? Yohji thought as he stalked over to   
the redhead and leaned against the side of the wall. Aya was putting together one of the   
orders and did not look up as Yohji approached. The only outward sign that Aya knew   
Yohji was near was the slight stiffening of his back.   
  
Draping his long form across the counter, the blond plucked a single red rose from   
a vase nearby and started to fiddle with it. Minutes passed and Yohji continued to twirl   
the rose in his hand as the redhead worked silently beside him. Yohji caught the   
redhead's irritated glare at the twirling rose and smiled inwardly. Typical Aya, Yohji   
silently laughed, glaring at nothings and scolding at everything.  
  
Aya was getting irritated with the continuous twirling. "Was there something you   
wanted, Kudou?" Aya said breaking the silence.  
  
"Nothing particular."   
  
"They why don't you get back to work instead of playing around."  
  
"Maybe I just wanted to spend time in your pleasant company." Yohji said   
nonchalantly.  
  
"Hn."  
  
Yohji smiled at the sound, "Or maybe I just wanted to talk to you."  
  
"Kudou..." Aya growled.  
  
Yohji laughed and stopped spinning the flower. Pushing himself off the table,   
Yohji turned and looked at the redhead. Aya was still working on the arrangement, not   
looking at the man next to him. Yohji leaned across the table and tapped the rose against   
a violet orchid in the arrangement.   
  
At the redhead's heated glare, Yohji asked. "Where were you this morning, Aya?"   
  
Instead of answering, Aya was about to push the offending hand away when Yohji   
slipped his figures around his slender wrist. Yohji tighten his hold on the wrist in front of   
him, preventing the Japanese man from escaping. Before Aya could react, Yohji pulled at   
the hand until he was standing only millimeters away from the redhead.  
  
Breathing into his teammate's ear, Yohji repeated the question. "Where were you   
this morning, Aya?"   
  
Aya growled and tried to knee the man in his shin. Expecting the attack, Yohji   
blocked it and pinned Aya's legs against the counter. Yohji looked down and found   
himself staring in large violet puddles. Intelligent, exquisite amethyst eyes glared at the   
blond intensely, as if daring Yohji to try anything against his wishes.  
  
Aya was about to retort when Yohji interrupted him. "Why were you staring at me   
today?"  
  
Aya stiffened and pulled at his wrist. Yohji refuse to let go.  
  
Yohji glanced at the smaller man, his cheek caressing the tip of Aya's head.   
  
"Aya..."  
  
"Let go of me now, Kudou." Aya threaten pulling at his wrist pointedly.   
  
"Not until you tell me." Yohji replied tightening his hold.  
  
Aya didn't bother to respond. A slight frown marred his face but since his eyes   
were turned to the floor, Yohji did not notice.  
  
"You've been quiet ever since the mission yesterday." Yohji said quietly. "What's   
wrong?"  
  
"Nothing." Answered Aya.  
  
"You can't tell me that nothing's wrong, Aya! I've been working with you for   
years and I know something is bothering you."  
  
"Why do you want to know!?" Aya replied angrily. Flashing violet eyes glanced up   
at Yohji.  
  
"We're friends, Aya! Teammates! You never express your feelings, always locking   
yourself in. I just want to help-"  
  
"I-I don't need your help."   
  
"Aya..." Yohji said softly.  
  
Placing a gentle hand under Aya's chin, Yohji titled the man's face until it he was   
staring into Aya's eyes. Wild crimson hair hung in Aya's eyes and without thinking   
Yohji started to move them. Shifting the wild hair behind Aya's ear, Yohji stared sadly at   
the smaller man.   
  
"Will you not open up?"  
  
Aya stayed silent and Yohji sighed in defeat. Yohji closed his eyes only to open   
them seconds later and looked down at Aya.  
  
"Then how about this? I'll be here for you whenever you need help." Yohji   
whispered.   
  
Something stirred in Aya's eyes, but before Yohji could discover the emotion it   
was gone. On a sudden whim, Yohji brought the rose up to Aya's face and gently   
caressed it against the redhead's cheek. Leaning close Yohji watched his friend's   
expression.   
  
Aya looked up with his bright eyes, carefully watching each move that Yohji made.   
As Yohji moved the rose and caressed it against Aya's lips, Aya let out a tiny gasp. Yohji   
brought the back of his hand up to Aya's cheek before he heard footsteps coming towards   
the flower shop.   
  
Omi entered the flower shop moments later only to find Aya, with his back turned,   
working on a flower arrangement as Yohji cleaned the counter near to him.   
  
"Morning, chibi," Yohji greeted the boy.   
  
"Don't call me that!" Omi said as he sat down tiredly.  
  
"Long night?" Yohji asked as he folded the cloth and placed it on the counter.  
  
"Yeah..."   
  
"Did you find anything in the files?" Aya asked, finishing the arrangement and   
turned toward the younger assassin.  
  
"I found some information on the corporation and the experiments that they're   
conducting but I haven't found anything yet on the Demon Ray or any other weapon."   
  
"Should we contact Manx?" Yohji asked as he watched Omi stand up.  
  
"Hai, we have to inform her of the data that we have gathered." Omi paused. "We   
probably would have to contact Crawford and the rest of Schwarz as well."   
  
Yohji glanced at his leader and saw the 'shinne' look that Aya had. Trying not to   
laugh, Yohji covered his lips pretending to be in deep thought. "Hm... do you have their   
phone number, Omi?"  
  
"Yeah but..." Omi started when the phone rang. Being the closed to the phone,   
Omi picked up. "Welcome to the Koneko no Sumu Ie. This is Omi speaking."  
  
Yohji looked at Aya as he waited for Omi to finish the phone conversation. Aya   
stepped into the kitchen and wrapped the apron around his hips. Walking up to the   
cabinets, he started to shift through them as he began to prepare lunch. Yohji gazed at   
Aya until he heard the soft click of the phone as Omi turned towards them.   
  
"That was Nagi from Schwarz." Omi explained as Yohji and Aya looked at him in   
question. "He said that he found some information in the files that he needs to share with   
the rest of us."  
  
"...when can they meet us?" Aya asked as he stirred the boiling curry.  
  
"Today around three o'clock."   
  
Aya nodded and turned the gas off the oven. Turning towards the dinning table he   
placed the hot bowl on top of a mat as Omi came in with the silverware. Yohji reached   
over the helped Omi arranged the utensils. Aya entered with the steamed rice as Yohji   
and Omi finished organize the silverware. Yohji sat down and grabbed a plate and   
scooped some rice into it before pouring some curry on top. Aya and Omi did the same   
thing as Yohji and they ate in silence. So we're having another meeting with Schwarz,   
Yohji thought. I hope that it goes much better then the last time we attempted it. Because   
Yohji did not have much food on his plate to begin with, his plate was cleared off in a   
few minutes.   
  
Yohji turned to Omi who was the nearest to the rice bowl. "Can I have seconds?" 


	12. Ending of Ice

Title: Essence of Innocence  
  
Chapter 12: Ending of Ice  
  
Author: lilnekochan  
  
email: lilneko_chan@hotmail.com  
  
Pairings: Yohji x Aya, Crawford x Schuldich, Ken x Omi, Farfarello x Nagi  
  
Author's Note: Finally I updated this fic! Sorry about taking so long but I had a very bad case  
  
of writers block not to mention school. COllege sucks! I don't know who said it was easy but its   
  
not! Grrrr! But either way the muses have come back to me. This chapter doesn't really have any  
  
romance moments, which I have to apologize for but it does go into a bit more detail about the   
  
missions. But don't worry since the next chapter will have Ken/Omi moments. KAwaii!! Also as a   
  
warning Aya is really OOC in this chapter. I just got an image of a chibi Aya chasing  
  
chibi Yohji around with his katana and a sweat dropping Ken watching it all happen that I had to  
  
put in it the story. lol. But here's a new chapter even if its a bit short. The next one will go   
  
into more detail about the mission that Manx gave them. And before I forget Manx isn't giving  
  
Schwarz any orders, but since Weiss and Schwarz are working together then any info that Manx has  
  
would be helpful. So I guess that's all I have to say for now so hope you like the new chapter.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Ending of Ice  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Brushing out the hood of his jacket, Ken discarded the leaves that had settled in the   
  
cloth over the past two hours. Replacing the hood, he glanced down the road checking for   
  
cars. Finding none, Ken quickly crossed the street and walked towards the Koneko no   
  
Sumu Ie. Finally, Ken thought, safe and sound. Who knew that the supermarket would   
  
have been so dangerous!   
  
Since Yohji and Aya were managing the flower shop and Omi was catching up on   
  
his much needed sleep since he had stayed up the entire night, Ken was the only one left   
  
to go to the store and pick up the groceries. Ken agreed readily since he thought there was   
  
little harm in getting the supplies. Oh how wrong I was, Ken thought. The second he   
  
entered the supermarket he was surrounded with fan girls from the flower shop. And   
  
without Aya and his icy glare he was helpless in their grasp. Ken winced as he recalled   
  
the memory. At least he was back safely and relatively unharmed at the Koneko no Sumu   
  
Ie.  
  
As Ken pulled the door open he heard a crash and a couple of shouted curse words.   
  
Ken closed the door behind him and walked calmly to the kitchen amidst all the crashes   
  
and shouts. After putting the groceries down on the counter he turned towards the stairs   
  
that would lead to the den.  
  
Upon entering the den a blond and red blur passed before him. Blinking wildly Ken   
  
shook his head and looked again. The blond and red blur slowly changed to a frighten   
  
Yohji and a pissed off Aya. Yohji was currently running around the room trying to throw   
  
anything in Aya's way to slow him down while Aya chased him with his unsheathed   
  
katana. Spotting Omi in a secluded corner, safe from all the damage Ken walked towards   
  
him.   
  
"So I'm guessing that Yohji pissed off Aya again..."  
  
"Hai." Omi replied.  
  
Ken shook his head as he sat down next to the young blond, "What did he do this   
  
time?"  
  
Omi laughed as he lifted his coffee from the table and sipped at it, "The usual."  
  
"Ah¡K" Ken said as he looked over at the raging redhead. "What was he teasing   
  
Aya about this time?"   
  
"I think it was something about relationships. That Aya doesn't go out with enough   
  
girls or something like that. I'm not sure since by the time I got here Aya was already   
  
mad."  
  
Ken sighed as he and Omi glanced at their teammates. Yohji had just knocked over   
  
a side table as he jumped over the couch. Aya ignored the fallen furniture and circled   
  
around the sofa lunging at the blond.   
  
"Shinne!"  
  
"Matte Aya!" Yohji cried as he quickly moved out of the Japanese man's grasp.   
  
"You should stop and try and control your temper."  
  
"Omae o korosu..."  
  
"Aya!"  
  
Omi laughed as he listened to the conversation. Ken smiled and looked at the blond.  
  
"My this place seems to be a bit disordered..."  
  
At the voice Ken twirled around only to see Schwarz at the threshold. Not   
  
bothering to move or shift position, Schuldich smirked, waggled the fingers of his right   
  
hand. Crawford walked pass his teammate and slowly made his way across the room,   
  
ignoring the chaotic den, and sat himself in a chair. Nagi and Farfarello followed their   
  
leader, but instead of sitting next to him they opted to lean against the wall on the far side   
  
of the room.   
  
Omi coughed, his cheeks a bit red as Aya glared at Yohji in a silent message that   
  
they would continue the conversation at a later time. Aya seated himself in a chair across   
  
from the Schwarz leader as Yohji moved across the room, picking up random items and   
  
putting them back in place. Omi stood up as Schuldich finally moved from the door and   
  
sat on the armrest on the chair that Crawford was sitting on.   
  
"Do you want anything to drink?" Omi asked politely.  
  
"No." Crawford said as he opened the folders that he had under his arm.  
  
"Nein." Schuldich replied. Nagi and Farfarello decided to not to respond.  
  
Omi grabbed the folders on the table that he was seating at and moved towards the   
  
empty couch between the chairs that Aya and Crawford sat in. Ken decided to take the   
  
empty seat besides his blond teammate.   
  
Once Omi sat down, Yohji finished cleaning up the room and leaned against the   
  
wall, which was far away from his red headed teammate.  
  
Omi cleared his throat and flipped to the first page of the document he was holding.   
  
"Well, I guess we should get started then..."  
  
"Was there any important information in your documents?" Crawford asked as   
  
Schuldich blew some of his bangs away from his face.  
  
"Nothing specific." Omi replied. "They only talked about some new chemical that   
  
they created but didn't say what was it formed of or what it did. Most of the documents I   
  
had didn't really say anything, they were like outlines of what they were trying to do."  
  
"Hm..."  
  
"Did your documents have any concrete information?" Aya asked after a few   
  
moments of silence.  
  
"Some." Crawford signaled to Nagi as the telekinetic boy handed him a folder.  
  
"Like your documents the ones that Schwarz obtained didn't go into detail on what   
  
procedures they were using to create their weapons, but they did go into detail about one   
  
of the weapons, the Demon Ray."  
  
"The Demon Ray..." Ken heard Yohji mutter. "Wait! Isn't that one of the weapons   
  
they were working on?"  
  
"Hai." Crawford looked at Yohji questioningly. "How did you know that?"   
  
Yohji rolled his eyes, "We were on a mission a couple of days before the   
  
Weiss/Schwarz alliance and I found a document that talked about the Demon Ray."  
  
//So where is the document now, katzchen?// Schuldich drawled in their minds.  
  
"We were attacked in the complex that the mission was held and the document was   
  
lost in the chaos¡K" Yohji paused. "Then again I don't think we lost the information but   
  
that the thief from the other night took it."  
  
//Why would you think that?//  
  
"A panther showed up in the middle of the attack."  
  
//Ah¡K still don't you think that Weiss is getting a bit weak losing a document like   
  
that to a mere kitten?//   
  
"Schuldich..." Crawford warned as Schuldich just rolled his eyes.  
  
//Just playing with the cats a bit, Bradley.// Schuldich sent to Crawford silently.  
  
Yohji growled then attacked back, "Well, if Weiss is getting weak then Schwarz is   
  
too since you also lost the documents to that panther and thief!"  
  
Before Schwarz could reply, Omi intervened, "What did your papers say about the   
  
Demon Ray, Crawford-san?"  
  
Schuldich sighed before leaning his elbow on the back of the American's chair as   
  
Farfarello stared at the back of Crawford's head. Nagi stepped closer before he said, "The   
  
information that we gathered described the Demon Ray as the ultimate weapon that the   
  
Handler (1) created."  
  
"Handler?" Ken asked.  
  
"The Handler is an organization much like Schwarz and Weiss." Crawford said,   
  
folding his hands under his chin. "The heads of Handler are made by government   
  
officials or military generals who use assassins to curve power, either political or   
  
personal, in their favor. However, Handler are not part of the actual government system   
  
instead they work in the dark..."  
  
Like Weiss and Schwarz, Ken thought mentally. Ken turned to Omi and saw that   
  
the little blond was biting his lower lip. Feeling someone's gaze at him, Omi turned   
  
around and looked into chocolate brown eyes.  
  
Ken flashed Omi a smile, which the blond returned before looking at Crawford as   
  
the American continued.  
  
"...Demon Ray was created in the Hisoma Lab. The scientists started to combine   
  
different chemicals in hopes that one of the mixtures would succeed. Many of the lower   
  
division weapons were their failed attempts."  
  
"So what are they going to do with the Demon Ray exactly?" Ken asked.  
  
"That is what we are trying to find out." Crawford stated.  
  
Aya grabbed one of the folders on the coffee table and looked inside, "So what   
  
kind of weapon is the Demon Ray? Biological, mechanical...?"  
  
"Organic."  
  
Aya looked up, "Organic? What do you mean?"  
  
"The Demon Ray and the other weapons that Handler creates are sentient as in   
  
humans, animals, and plants. They use chemicals and inject them into the specimens then   
  
put them through a series of tests and training exercises."  
  
"They use animals and humans as lab rats?!" Ken cried.  
  
"Yes. The tests are often cruel and malicious. They would kidnap potential   
  
candidates who they see as best suited for their uses then start the procedure at a young   
  
age..."  
  
"How young?" Yohji asked. Ken looked back and wondered when he lit the   
  
cigarette.   
  
"Usually they will start the injections when the candidates are still babes between   
  
the ages of one to seven years old. If the child is older then seven they their body cannot   
  
handle the injections and would shut down. After the age of four when the candidates'   
  
body has developed then that is when they will begin the training sessions combined with   
  
the inoculation. The training sessions are directed to develop and increase stamina,   
  
strength, speed, and also their psychic abilities."  
  
"The children are psychics?" Yohji asked as he blew smoke from his mouth. Aya   
  
looked back and gave his teammate a glare, which the blond ignored.  
  
Crawford lifted one eyebrow. "Psychics are the best candidates of choice. They   
  
have abilities, which regular humans do not have therefore they have an edge. Handler   
  
chooses their candidates based on their abilities then hone them. The chemical injections   
  
are used to increase their abilities as well as the candidates' natural abilities. But the   
  
negative side affects are that most of the candidates do not survive the training sessions   
  
or the missions. Some even do not survive the injections, most will go insane and the   
  
ones that do are terminated. Injections can increase the candidates' natural and psychic   
  
abilities but most of them do not live past sixteen so Handler are always looking for more   
  
people."  
  
"Do the injections create new abilities or just increase the ones that the children   
  
have?" Asked Aya.  
  
"They only increase the psychic ability that the candidates have. I do not think it is   
  
possible to even give a person a psychic ability if they do not have it naturally." Crawford   
  
mused. "But I am not certain about that."  
  
  
  
¡§Does this mean that this Demon Ray is a human being, which Handler injected with chemicals   
  
so that they will have their ultimate assassin?¡¨  
  
¡§Yes.¡¨ Crawford answered Yohji.  
  
¡§Jeez, that¡¦s sick.¡¨ Was the only response.  
  
Ken did not know what to say. He had met many corrupt people since he joined   
  
Weiss, which some organization have targeted children before. But to use children as   
  
assassins and subject them to such cruelty, Ken would not allow. What if they target   
  
Taichi, Kenji, Sora, or the other kids on his soccer team? He couldn't imagine their   
  
smiling faces locked behind glass walls only to be used as weapons and seen as inanimate   
  
objects.   
  
"Does any of the documents say anything about the Handler headquarters or   
  
training centers?" Omi asked.  
  
"No, but that does not matter since we will have to infiltrate another lab and get   
  
more information before attempting to eradicate the heads of Handler. They will not be   
  
killed easily."  
  
"Then you are in luck Schwarz and Weiss."  
  
Standing at the back of the room was Manx, holding one vanilla folder in her hand.   
  
"Here are the locations of one of the Handler labs."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
1.) Handler ¡V Dealers (German) 


	13. Wish Upon A Star

Title: Essence of Innocence  
Chapter 13: Wish Upon A Star  
Author: lilnekochan  
email:  
Pairings: Yohji x Aya, Crawford x Schuldich, Ken x Omi, Farfarello x Nagi

Warnings: OOC, some blood and violence, yaoi  
Author's Note: I'm so happy that I finally got another chapter out. Summer has been so hectic this year. I never noticed how fast a summer can go until this year when I took organic chemistry over the summer. Let's just say that I found out that organic chem. Is definitely not my strong point...sigh... Either way, for everyone I have to apologize for spelling Schuldig's name wrong. I only realized this a few weeks ago, but for this fic I'm just going to keep his name as Schuldich since I'm feeling a bit lazy and don't really feel like going through all the chapters so I can correct his name. So hopefully you won't stop reading this fic because of a name mistake. Also as a warning the beginning of the fic from paragraph 7-17 is a bit bloody and gory so if you don't like reading that kind of stuff you should skip those paragraphs. Otherwise, the rest of the fic is violence free unless you count Ken being his clumsy self. So here's chapter 13 and I'll try to write the next chapter as soon as I can. It's going to be in Farfarello's POV so hopefully it'll turn out good...Either way, please R&R.

Wish Upon a Star

Star light, star bright,  
First star I see tonight,  
I wish I may, wish I might,   
Have the wish I wish tonight.

The air was fresh and ripe as the morning breeze blew across the meadow. The field was covered in bright green grass and beautiful flowers as trees towered in the sky. In the distance the sun and moon hovered in the sky, side by side, as night was half turned into day. And around both spheres were the bright shinning stars of earth's sky. A blond figure emerged from the surrounding air and took a few steps forward as he looked around trying to locate where he was. Squinting his baby blue eyes, he tried to find any resemblance in his surrounding.

Omi ran his hand through his blond hair, as he saw nothing that looked familiar. Then a loud cry from above and he quickly looked up. At first Omi thought that nothing was wrong, but then he noticed that something was weird about the sun. Omi struggled to peek at the sun as much as he could when he noticed that something was flying around it. A bright flaming bird circled the sphere as it gave another cry. Then almost in answer a roar was heard on the other side of the meadow and Omi turned his face to look at the moon.

There a beautiful pearl Chinese dragon spun around the full moon. It's body gleaming white as the light reflected from this magnificent figure. Two small silver horns settled in the dragon's white mane as the beast twirled around and circled the moon once more.

Omi was so entranced by the images that he almost missed the gentle footsteps nearby. Glancing away from the two mysterious beasts in the sky, Omi saw another creature that should have only existed in fairy tales. A beautiful white unicorn with wings was grazing in the grass. It's long white horn stood proudly against its forehead as large feathered wings adorned its back. The unicorn looked up at the boy and Omi was hit with a sense of familiarity and felt an image flash before his eyes. But the picture was gone before he could see what it was. As Omi opened his eyes, he saw that the unicorn had spread its wings and was making its path towards the other two beasts.

Both dragon and phoenix stopped circling and looked at the flying unicorn. The phoenix then gave a huge leap and flew towards the white horse. The dragon as well moved towards the unicorn as he pushed away from the moon and whipped across the sky.

Omi was about to shout a warning to the unicorn when he stopped in confusion as he saw the dragon and phoenix circle the unicorn. Instead of striking the horse, both beasts just flew around it gracefully and peacefully. The unicorn did not seem scared and just hovered silently.

The blond sighed in relief since he did not want to see such beautiful creatures fight. Then he felt something wet fall onto his forehead. Reaching up, Omi touched the wetness with a hand. Bring his arm down, Omi saw that a crimson stain was smeared across his hand.

"Blood." Omi whispered.

Then the blond felt another crimson drop on his arm and another on his cheek. Glancing up into he sky he saw that the once clear sky was now covered in storming clouds and more blood rain began to fall. The dragon, phoenix, and unicorn seem oblivious to the changing scene when suddenly a chain tore through the grass and clasped onto the dragon's foot.

The dragon gave an enraged roar and struggled to free himself. The unicorn tried to use its horn to strike at the metal chain while the phoenix threw red-hot fireballs at it. But the chain stayed strong and would not let go. Then myriads of more chains erupted from the ground and struck not only the dragon but the unicorn and phoenix as well.

The creatures unable to free themselves lost flight and fell through the sky, landing in a pile of ash and dust. Furious screams and howls came from the animals as the chains wrapped around their bodies to bind them. The sharp metal cut into their skin as the chains bound tighter choking the creatures.

Omi made to move towards the helpless animals, but was stopped as something wrapped around his ankle. The blond assassin looked down and then screamed when he saw what was holding onto him.

The ground that was originally covered with a beautiful flowering meadow had turned to a desert. Dried cracks littered the floor as scorching hot tar bubbled its way across the smothering wasteland. Through the blistering tar a distorted charred hand had torn through the plaster, using his leg as leverage.

Even as Omi tried to shake the hand off his leg, moans and shrieks filled the air as distorted figures emerged from the shadows. Many of the creatures were very horribly burnt while others had body parts, which were missing or smashed in as internal fluids oozed from their wounds. The beings were so disfigured that they hardly looked human, but Omi knew that they were human or was at one point of their lives. Each was more frightening then the one before as burnt flesh and gruesome faces looked at the small blond.

"Noooo! Let go!" Omi screamed as more arms reached for him. Swirling quickly, the blond kicked at two more creatures that had grabbed unto his leg and waist. As Omi tore the two away from his body another figure crashed into him, making the boy fall onto the tar-covered floor. Before the blond could recover hundreds of hands had already grabbed unto his small frame and pulled at the blond.

Omi eyes widen in realization that the beings were trying to drag him into the shadows when the blond felt his legs and waist plunge into the tar. Grasping at the edges, Omi tried to pull himself out, but his hands only slipped as they grabbed onto the oil. Whimpering helplessly, Omi movements became more frantic as he sank deep into the smothering blackness.

"Stop! Please..." Omi pleaded as tears began to fill his eyes as desperation took hold of his heart. One hand clamped across his face as it prepared to give the last pull that would plunge the assassin into the shadows. As Omi felt the tar snake up his neck and cheek he screamed.

"NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!"

"Omi! Omi! Wake up!"

The blond sat bolt upright as the world spun in his eyes. Omi gasped in terror, looking frantically around for the horrific creatures. As the shock begin to fade Omi felt the smothering hand that rubbed across his back and the comforting words that was whispered alongside.

Turning his head to the side, Omi saw that Ken was kneeling next to him with a worried expression.

"Are you ok?" The brunet asked, still rubbing the blonde's back.

"Y-Yes." Omi stuttered and looked down at his hand, which clutched white knuckled on his blanket.

Ken frowned but didn't say anything.

"I'm alright. Really...I-I just had a nightmare that's all." Omi tried to reassure his friend.

"That's all?" Ken questioned. "Must have been a very bad nightmare."

Omi nodded and slowly let his hold on the blanket lessen. He looked at Ken again and gave him a convincing smile. Then Omi blinked as he registered that Ken was in his room in nothing but his boxers. A blush began to form on his cheeks and Omi looked back down at his blanket hoping that his hair would hide the redness.

But it seemed that Ken noticed his teammate's look and turned red as a tomato as he fidgeted where he was crouching.

"Um..." Ken stumbled over his words. "You were screaming earlier so I... um... kinda came here as fast as I could ..."

"I was screaming?" Omi asked faintly.

"Hai."

Omi looked at his opened door and tried to glance down the hall. "Did Aya or Yohji..."

"Iie. I don't think they heard you. Their rooms are down the hall while mine is right next to yours."

"Good." Omi sighed in relief. "I don't want to worry them more then I have to. Especially with everything that happened already."

"Are you sure you're fine, Omi?" Ken asked again as he shifted so that he could sit on the bed.

"Hai. Like I said it was just a very bad dream."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Ken ran the back of his hand across his friend's forehead, feeling the sweat that was there.

"...its not that important."

Ken looked at his friend pointedly.

"I'll tell you but not right now." Omi said as he felt the brunet put his hand over Omi's smaller ones. Heat pulsed where their hands touched and Omi felt a small warm tingle form where Ken was holding his hand. Omi blushed but tried to keep it down as he turned his thoughts away from how close his teammate was sitting next to him to comforting the older man. "Later ok?"

Ken looked like he wanted to argue but just sighed and nodded. Then he looked over his shoulder at the nightstand clock. "Well, we probably should get up now anyway."

"Huh?" Omi asked. "What time is it?"

"Five."

"Really?!"

"Yup." Ken shot the blond a lopsided smile. He gave Omi's hand a small squeeze then let go. The blond felt a pang of disappointment at the lost contact but covered it up with his own smile.

"So we should be leaving in about two hours."

"Yea." The brunet sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair.

Omi cocked his head to the side as he looked curiously at his friend. "Is something wrong, Ken-kun?"

Ken opened his mouth then closed it as if looking for the right words. Omi saw Ken's eyes glance at him briefly before the older assassin sighed. "Don't you think this whole mission is a bit weird? Like Manx is keeping something from us?"

"Hai." Omi admitted, looking at the band posters that hung from his wall. "But what can we do? It's our job to find out what is happening."

"That's true but I wonder..." Ken trailed off.

"Wonder what?"

"...nothing." Ken shook his head and shot a half smile at Omi. "This mission must be messing with my mind more then I thought it would."

Omi laughed and saw his friend smile at this, "I would think so. It's not everyday that we work with Schwarz or have a raging panther steal data from us."

"That's true." Ken laughed then stood up. "Are you sure that you're ok?"

"I'm sure." Omi smiled. "You should probably get to your room now to get ready."

"Yea." Ken began to walk towards the door but paused halfway there and looked over his shoulder at the blond. "If you need anything then just call."

"I know." Omi said and Ken nodded then walked out the door, closing it behind him.

The blond stared at the door as a few more moments then shook his head as he gave a small laugh. Looking down with a smile, Omi stared at the hand that his teammate had gripped a few moments before. Lightly touching the top of his hand, Omi remembered the touch of Ken's surprisingly soft hand and how warm it was. The blond quickly ducked his head as a blush covered the top of his nose.

Stretching his arms, Omi looked across the room to where the mission files sat. Omi swung his legs off the bed, stood up, and strolled over to the desk, settling down in the chair. Picking up one folder, the youngest Weiss assassin flipped through the pages until he found the one he wanted.

"...the targets are the three central Mitsuke labs." Omi read. "Buildings 101, 102, and 103, each with 23 floors, are listed as research labs for the advancement of biotechnology, but they have underground lower levels A through G hidden from the public. Level A has a nine-digit password, which separates it from the ordinary floors, and levels A through G are protected by security cards. All three labs have an estimate of 150 soldiers guarding the wards and each floor is set with cameras and heat sensitive lasers."

Flipping the page, Omi continued on, "Levels A through G has no operating elevator, but can be reached by the stairwells that connects all the lower levels. Goal is to access Level F, which protects the storage and filing rooms. Critical files to obtain are information regarding the Demon Ray and other such weapons."

Omi rubbed his eyes as he said absentmindedly to his ceiling, "Great. And we somehow are suppose to magically enter the labs, get the security cards and password and infiltrate level F where the records are stored. All this without being seen."

"Must have been crazy when I agreed to this assignment." Omi whispered, looking at the other files that littered his desk. "Well, I suppose it's not that bad especially since Schwarz will be helping us. At least Schuldich can get the nine-digit password easily and maybe Nagi can pickpocket some of the guards for the security cards. Then we can knock out some guards and steal their uniforms... though it'll be weird seeing Farfarello wearing something normal..."

Feeling a bit better about the mission, Omi stood up and started towards his closet. Then as the blond was about to pull his closet door open a large bang followed by loud curses came from the wall. Omi laughed as he heard Ken's curses from the room next to his, imaging that the clumsy soccer player had probably tripped over something and hit the wall. Still laughing, Omi opened his closet door and shifted through his cloths, looking for his mission outfit.

Omi finally found the cloths and pulled them out of the drawer and walked back to the bed. As he placed his uniform on the bed the picture on his nightstand caught his eyes. It was a picture of Omi and Ken. Omi smiled at the memory as he recalled the day the picture was taken. Yohji, Ken, and he were planning on going to the park that had just opened near the flower shop. And somehow Yohji and Ken had convinced... or in Omi's view... tricked Aya to come with them. Yohji had to practically drag the glaring Aya the whole way but in the end Aya did stay with them the entire day.

Omi laughed silently as he remembered one moment when Yohji was annoying Aya a bit too much and to the older blonde's shock ended up sitting in the fountain where they had their picnic. Later in the day, near sundown, Yohji pulled out a camera from his jeans and started to take pictures. The one that Omi was holding showed Ken with his arms around Omi's shoulders as they both grinned into the camera.

How normal we look, Omi thought as he glanced down at the photo and the others that stood on his bookcase. In all the pictures they all look like normal people, not assassins who sneak into the darkness and avenge the innocent.

"What would our lives be if we weren't in Weiss?" Omi whispered softly, as he whispered sadly.

He could imagine Ken laughing and smiling as he played with the kids on a local soccer team, or Yohji sitting in an office as he drank from a cup of coffee while flirting with his coworker, or even Aya who would sit peacefully on a nice white couch as he slipped delicately from a cup of espresso in one hand while holding a book in another.

Placing a fragile hand over Ken's picture, Omi looked down sadly, "I wonder what our relationship would be if we weren't in Weiss?"

Staring into the smiling picture of Ken, Omi felt something grip his chest. Then Omi quickly shook his head before he could get more lost in his thoughts. Placing the picture back where it originally was, Omi paused as he touched the edge of the frame. Omi turned away and grabbed his mission shirt and pulled it over his head as he heard the rest of his team begin to wake and make their way into the living room. As Omi heard Ken stumble in the hallway then curse, he couldn't help but let a smile grace his lips. As he looked out the window the last traces of night fell, and the brightly burning stars began to fade. Glancing one last time at the picture, Omi turned around and made his way into the hallway as he closed the door behind him.

Looking down at the red-faced brunet, Omi smiled and held out a hand, "Do you need any help getting up?"

"Hai." Ken said embarrassed as he grabbed onto Omi's hand and was pulled up.

"We should get to the living room now. If not then I think Aya would get a bit annoyed at us."

"He gets annoyed at everything, Omi." Ken joked and they started down the stairs into the living room.

"Yea." Omi laughed as they entered the room and saw their two teammates sitting on the couches sipping coffee. As he made his way towards them, Omi saw the last glimmer of the moon fade away and the last echoes of the shimmering stars sing their song to the morning dew as the day turned anew.


End file.
